Chapter 1

Scientific notation is a. the use of Greek symbols to express scientific concepts. b. convenient shorthand for expressing very large or very small numbers. c. footnotes in scientific papers. d. the documentation of experimental results. e. formulas that express mathematical relationships.

Which of the following is the most correctly written in standard scientific notation? a. \(0.014 \times 10^{28}\) d. \(14.0 \times 10^{25}\) b. \(0.14 \times 10^{27}\) e. \(140 \times 10^{24}\) c. \(1.4 \times 10^{26}\)

Which of the following is equivalent to \(9,400,000 ?\) a. \(9.4 \times 10^{5}\) d. \(0.94 \times 10^{8}\) b. \(9.4 \times 10^{6}\) e. \(0.94 \times 10^{9}\) c. \(9.4 \times 10^{7}\)

One number is said to be an "order of magnitude" larger than another number if a. it is 2 times larger. d. it is 10 times larger. b. it is 3 times larger. e. it is 100 times larger. c. it is 5 times larger.

Consider a number \((x)\) that is 4 orders of magnitude larger than another \((y) .\) Which accurately describes the value of \(x\) compared to \(y\) ? a. It is 4 times larger. d. It is 10,000 times larger. b. It is 10 times larger. e. It is 400 times larger. c. It is 1,000 times larger.

How many orders of magnitude larger is the Sun \(\left(L_{\mathrm{S}_{\mathrm{un}}} \approx 10^{9} \text { meters }\right)\) than a terrestrial planet like Earth \(\left(L_{\mathrm{E}_{\text {ath }}} \approx 10^{7} \text { meters }\right) ?\) a. 0 b. 1 c. 2 d. 5 e. 10

By how many orders of magnitude does the gas giant planet Jupiter \(\left(L_{1} \approx 10^{8} \text { meters }\right)\) exceed the size of human beings \(\left(L_{1 \mathrm{iB}} \approx 10^{0} \text { meters }\right) ?\) a. 2 b. 4 c. 6 d. 8 e. 10

How many orders of magnitude are there between the diameter of the \(\operatorname{Sun}\left(L_{\operatorname{Sun}}=10^{\circ} \text { meters }\right)\) and the typical distance between stars \(\left(L \approx 10^{16} \text { meters }\right) ?\) a. 7 b. 10 c. 15 d. 20 e. 100

How many orders of magnitude are there between the diameter of the Sun \(\left(L_{\mathrm{S}_{\mathrm{ma}}} \approx 10^{9}\) meters ) and the typical distance between stars \right. \(\left(L \approx 10^{16} \text { meters }\right) ?\) a. 7 b. 10 c. 15 d. 20 e. 100

To build a monument with a corridor that would catch the rays of light from the rising Sun on the winter solstice, the builders of Newgrange had to point the opening of their corridor in which general direction? a. northeast d. southwest b. southeast e. The direction didn't matter. c. northwest

Compared to the size of a galaxy cluster \(\left(L=10^{23} \text { meters }\right),\) a supercluster \(\left(L \approx 10^{24} \text { meters }\right)\) is _________. Choose all that apply. a. twice as large b. 1 order of magnitude larger c. 10 times as large d. 24 times larger e. 1 power of 10 larger

Which of the following describe(s) areas where informed citizens need to understand how science works? Choose all that apply. a. Understanding the arguments for and against the need for human intervention in climate control. b. Weighing the positions for and against hydraulic fracking for obtaining natural gas. c. Discerning the accuracy of statements regarding the depletion of natural resources. d. Deciding whether children should be inoculated against various diseases e. Deciding which album by Led Zeppelin was the band's best.

Comparing the size of a human$$\left(L_{\mathrm{HB}}=10^{\circ} \text { meters }\right)$$to the size of an \right. atom \(\left(L=10^{-10} \text {meters }\right)\) a. the human is 9 times bigger. b. the human is 10 times bigger c. the atom is 9 orders of magnitude smaller. d. the human is a billion times bigger. e. the atom is 10 powers of 10 smaller.

One of the earliest practical uses of astronomy was the timing of crop planting by a. lunar eclipses. b. the appearance of comets. c. the appearance of specific planets. d. the appearance of specific constellations. e. solar eclipses.

Which of the following characteristics of astrology is/are consistent with defining it as a pseudoscience? Choose all that apply a. Its advocates take a perceived correlation and claim that it shows a causal relationship. b. Its proponents would not give up their beliefs, even if experiments showed that those beliefs were incorrect. c. Its advocates assert that there are underlying principles but fail to rigorously test their validity. d. Its hypotheses have not been supported by experimentation. e. Its predictions are so broad that they fit almost any possible outcome

Evolution of life on Earth has been a controversial topic, despite being well supported by scientific investigation and the resulting evidence. Which of the following is/are reasonable conclusions to be drawn from this example about science and religion in our culture? Choose all that apply. a. Religion and science cannot coexist. b. Religion may influence some people's acceptance of scientific conclusions. c. Scientific ideas and religious ideas have rarely conflicted over time. d. Some religious constituencies may refute the validity of scientific conclusions that are inconsistent with their teachings. e. Scientists cannot hold religious beliefs, since those beliefs are not based on the process of science.

In the simple version of the scientific method, which of the following is the correct order of actions that scientists take in their studies? a. theory, observation, hypothesis, test, results b. hypothesis, test, results, retest, observation, potential theory c. observation, hypothesis, test, results, retest, results, potential theory d. theory, test, results, hypothesis, revised theory e. observation, theory, hypothesis, test, results, retest, results

True/False: Religious accounts provide supernatural as opposed to natural explanations of the history of life on Earth.

True/False: Understanding the natural world through the application of scientific knowledge can give us a better understanding of our place in the Universe.

Scientific knowledge is said to be simultaneously "tentative and reliable." Describe how this paradox is a strength of scientific knowledge, not a weakness.

The progress of modern science often is not linear, as may be suggested by the scientific method. What aspects of modern science do not fit neatly into the scientific method?

Pseudoscience is often intended to sound and look a lot like science. In what ways do pseudoscientific understandings differ from scientific ones?

A recent study by the National Science Foundation found that fewer than 25 percent of Americans understand the true nature of scientific knowledge. How would you describe the process of acquiring scientific knowledge to someone in the other 75 percent?

What are the criteria for a successful scientific theory?

What are some of the ways science has changed the world? Do you see these as benefits or challenges?

Name several of the toughest challenges we face today as a result of technological advancement.

What types of questions ultimately cannot be answered through scientific investigation?

How do astronomy and astrology differ?

What are some practical applications for early astronomical knowledge of the cycles of the Sun, Moon, and constellations?

At Newgrange, the Sun lights up a passageway exactly on the winter solstice. Judging by what you already know from experience, what is a solstice?

Recall what you have heard or read about climate change. Consider the source. What purpose or agenda might the speaker or writer have had? Can you cite examples that you judge to be based on science and others based on pseudoscience?

Humankind has been fascinated by the mysteries of the night sky since its earliest beginnings. Given our modern understanding of the Universe and our position within it, what thoughts, ideas, and questions come to mind when you look up at a starry sky?

Most world religions provide an account of the creation of Earth and the cosmos. Is a belief in such stories necessarily incompatible with an acceptance of the findings of astronomers and other scientists? Why or why not?

Do you agree or disagree with Martin Rees's statement that humanity has only \(50 / 50\) odds of surviving into the next century? Why or why not?

Humanity has existed in its culturally and anatomically modern form for approximately 50,000 years. Write this number in scientific notation

How many orders of magnitude are there between the sizes of a dust particle and a proton?

How many years would 1,500 generations represent, if each generation was 25 years? Give your answer in scientific notation.

Write a million billion billion in scientific notation.

As of December \(31,2015,\) how many seconds (will) have passed since the end of the year that Copernicus (see Chapter 3 ) published his Sun-centered model of the Universe (1543)? (Hint: There are \(3.16 \times 10^{7}\) seconds in a year.