IGCSEScienceCambridge (CIE)Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award)PhysicsExam Questions6. Space PhysicsStars & the Universe

Stars & the Universe (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award): Physics): Exam Questions

Exam code: 0654 & 0973

1 hour16 questions

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Stars & the Universe

Easy
Medium
Hard
1a
1 mark

Starting with the largest, list the following in order of decreasing size

Galaxy     Sun  Universe  Jupiter

How did you do?

1b
2 marks

State the stages in the life cycle of a star the size of the Sun after the main sequence in the gaps below 

Main sequence → ................................... → ...................................

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1c
4 marks

State the stages in the life cycle of a star much greater than the size of the Sun after the main sequence in the gaps below

Main sequence → ................................... → ................................... → ................................... or ...................................

How did you do?

1d
2 marks

Extended tier only

Explain what may form in nebulae created by a supernova.

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2a
1 mark

State the approximate diameter of the Milky Way in light years.

How did you do?

2b
2 marks

Extended tier only

Nuclear fusion occurs in the core of a stable star.

Complete the sentence explaining nuclear fusion.

Nuclear reactions in the core of a star involve the fusion of ........................... into ...........................

How did you do?

3a
6 marks

Rearrange the stages of the life cycle of a star into the correct order.

1

white dwarf

2

planetary nebula

3

protostar

4

main sequence star

5

interstellar clouds of gas and dust (stellar nebula)

6

red giant

How did you do?

3b
2 marks

Two stars, Alpha Centauri B and Betelgeuse are 0.9 and 16.5 solar masses respectively.

State which star could eventually become a neutron star. Explain your reasoning. 

1 solar mass = mass of the Sun

How did you do?

3c
1 mark

State what is meant by a supernova.

How did you do?

1
3 marks

The Sun is our nearest star. 

(i) State the three main forms of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun.

[2]

(ii) State the two main elements that are found in the Sun.

[1]

How did you do?

2a
5 marks

Extended tier only

Some main sequence stars become black holes. 

Describe the evolution of a main sequence star to the point at which it becomes a black hole. 

How did you do?

2b
2 marks

State and explain whether the Sun will eventually become a black hole. 

How did you do?

3a
2 marks

Extended tier only

Describe nuclear fusion in stars.

How did you do?

3b
5 marks

Derive the distance of 1 light year in metres.

Speed of light = 3.0 × 108 m/s

How did you do?

3c
2 marks

The Milky Way is approximately 100 000 light years in diameter.

Calculate the time it would take a spacecraft travelling at the speed of light to travel from one side of the Milky Way to the other.

time = ......................................... s 

How did you do?

3d
4 marks

Below are some statements related to Cosmology.

  1. Galaxies are made of up millions of stars

  2. The Sun is a planet because it has a core

  3. Other stars that make up the Milky Way are much further away from the Earth than the Sun is from the Earth

  4. There may be other galaxies in the Milky Way

State all of the statements that are false and explain why.

How did you do?

1a
5 marks

Derive the distance of 1 light year in metres.

Speed of light = 3.0 × 108 m/s

How did you do?

1b
2 marks

The Milky Way is approximately 100 000 light years in diameter.

Calculate the time it would take a spacecraft travelling at the speed of light to travel from one side of the Milky Way to the other.

time = ......................................... s 

How did you do?

2
4 marks

Calculate the distance of 50 light-years in metres.

Speed of light = 3.0 × 108 m/s.

How did you do?

3a
4 marks

Extended Tier Only

The ‘big bang’ theory is one theory explaining the origin of the Universe.

6-2-4a-h-size-of-universe-time-graph

Fig 1.1

(i) Sketch the graph of the size of the Universe with time on Fig 1.1. [2]

(ii) Explain how your graph in part (i) supports the Big Bang Theory.[2]

How did you do?

3b
2 marks

Extended tier only

Suggest why our understanding of the very earliest moments of the Universe is unreliable.

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4
3 marks

Extended tier only

From the data collected, a graph can be drawn that links the speed of a galaxy with the distance of the galaxy from the Earth. This graph is shown in Fig. 1.1.

6-2-5b-h-hubbles-law-graph-p-and-q

Fig 1.1

Describe how the visible light spectrum from galaxy Q looks different from the visible light spectrum from galaxy P.

How did you do?