Astronomy
Astronomy
1st Edition
ISBN: 9781938168284
Author: Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher: OpenStax
bartleby

Concept explainers

Textbook Question
Book Icon
Chapter 5, Problem 32E

Go outside on a clear night, wait 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, and look carefully at the brightest stars. Some should look slightly red and others slightly blue. The primary factor that determines the color of a star is its temperature. Which is hotter: a blue star or a red one? Explain

Blurred answer
Students have asked these similar questions
If you see a “violet-hot” star, you can be certain its peak intensity is in the ultraviolet range. Why is this?
On a clear evening during the winter months, if you look up at the sky, you can see the constellation Orion (The Hunter). One star is this constellation Rigel, flickers in a blue color (λ = 400 nm), and another star, Betelgeuse, has a reddish color (λ = 750 nm). What is the difference of the surface temperature for these two stars?
A blue-hot star is about twice as hot as a red-hot star. But the temperatures of the gases in advertising signs are about the same, whether they emit red or blue light. What is your explanation?

Chapter 5 Solutions

Astronomy

Ch. 5 - What are the differences between light waves and...Ch. 5 - Which type of wave has a longer wavelength: AM...Ch. 5 - Explain why astronomers long ago believed that...Ch. 5 - Explain what the ionosphere is and how it...Ch. 5 - Which is more dangerous to living things, gamma...Ch. 5 - Explain why we have to observe stars and other...Ch. 5 - Explain why hotter objects tend to radiate more...Ch. 5 - Explain how we can deduce the temperature of a...Ch. 5 - Explain what dispersion is and how astronomers use...Ch. 5 - Explain why glass prisms disperse light.Ch. 5 - Explain what Joseph Fraunhofer discovered about...Ch. 5 - Explain how we use spectral absorption and...Ch. 5 - Explain the results of Rutherford’s gold foil...Ch. 5 - Is it possible for two different atoms of carbon...Ch. 5 - What are the three isotopes of hydrogen, and how...Ch. 5 - Explain how electrons use light energy to move...Ch. 5 - Explain why astronomers use the term “blueshifted”...Ch. 5 - If spectral line wavelengths are changing for...Ch. 5 - Make a list of some of the many practical...Ch. 5 - With what type of electromagnetic radiation would...Ch. 5 - Why is it dangerous to be exposed to X-rays but...Ch. 5 - Go outside on a clear night, wait 15 minutes for...Ch. 5 - Water faucets are often labeled with a red dot for...Ch. 5 - Suppose you are standing at the exact center of a...Ch. 5 - How could you measure Earth’s orbital speed by...Ch. 5 - Astronomers want to make maps of the sky showing...Ch. 5 - The greenhouse effect can be explained easily if...Ch. 5 - An idealized radiating object does not reflect or...Ch. 5 - Why are ionized gases typically only found in very...Ch. 5 - Explain why each element has a unique spectrum of...Ch. 5 - What is the wavelength of the carrier wave of a...Ch. 5 - What is the frequency of a red laser beam, with a...Ch. 5 - You go to a dance club to forget how hard your...Ch. 5 - What is the energy of the photon with the...Ch. 5 - If the emitted infrared radiation from Pluto, has...Ch. 5 - What is the temperature of a star whose maximum...
Knowledge Booster
Background pattern image
Physics
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Similar questions
Recommended textbooks for you
Text book image
Astronomy
Physics
ISBN:9781938168284
Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher:OpenStax
Text book image
Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern ...
Physics
ISBN:9781337553292
Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Modern Physics
Physics
ISBN:9781111794378
Author:Raymond A. Serway, Clement J. Moses, Curt A. Moyer
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course ...
Physics
ISBN:9781305960961
Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399920
Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399944
Author:Michael A. Seeds
Publisher:Cengage Learning