SPECTRUM PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. Which of the following elements is/are represented in the spectrum below?
A. Hydrogen only
C. Hydrogen and helium
B. Helium only
D. Calcium only
2. The Sun contains spectral lines from neutral sodium and calcium as well as ionized
magnesium and iron. Of the choices below, which could be the surface temperature of the
Sun?
A. 4,200 K
C. 8,900 K
B. 5,800 K
D. 14,300 K
3. The spectrum of a distant star contains sodium lines that are offset from their normal
position, as shown. What is the most likely explanation?
A. The star is relatively hot.
B. The star is relatively cool.
C. The star is moving rapidly toward us.
D. The star is moving rapidly away from us.
4.
In the 1920s, Edwin Hubble looked at the spectra of stars from distant galaxies. To his
surprise, he found that all of these spectra were red-shifted, and that the more distant the
galaxy, the greater the red-shift. What is a reasonable conclusion from this evidence?
A. The universe is expanding.
C. The universe is unchanging.
B. The universe is contracting.
D. The universe is curved.
5. Which element is not represented in the star spectrum below?
A. Hydrogen
C. Calcium
B. Helium
D. Magnesium