1st Edition

ISBN: 9781938168284

Author: Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff

Publisher: OpenStax

Concept explainers

We may see thousands of stars in the dark sky. Our universe consists of billions of stars. Stars may appear tiny to us but they are huge balls of gasses. Sun is a star of average size. Some stars are even a thousand times larger than the sun. The stars d…

Red Shift

It is an astronomical phenomenon. In this phenomenon, increase in wavelength with corresponding decrease in photon energy and frequency of radiation of light. It is the displacement of spectrum of any kind of astronomical object to the longer wavelengths…

Textbook Question

Chapter 18, Problem 19E

The eclipsing binary Algol drops from maximum to minimum brightness in about 4 hours, remains at minimum brightness for 20 minutes, and then takes another 4 hours to return to maximum brightness. Assume that we view this system exactly edge-on, so that one star crosses directly in front of the other. Is one star much larger than the other, or are they fairly similar in size? (Hint: Refer to the diagrams of eclipsing binary light curves.)

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Chapter 18, Problem 18E

Chapter 18, Problem 20E

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Chapter 18 Solutions

Astronomy

Ch. 18 - How does the mass of the Sun compare with that of...Ch. 18 - Name and describe the three types of binary...Ch. 18 - Describe two ways of determining the diameter of a...Ch. 18 - What are the largest- and smallest-known values of...Ch. 18 - You are able to take spectra of both stars in an...Ch. 18 - Sketch an HR diagram. Label the axes. Show where...Ch. 18 - Describe what a typical star in the Galaxy would...Ch. 18 - How do we distinguish stars from brown dwarfs? How...Ch. 18 - Describe how the mass, luminosity, surface...Ch. 18 - One method to measure the diameter of a star is to...

Ch. 18 - We discussed in the chapter that about half of...Ch. 18 - Is the Sun an average star? Why or why not?Ch. 18 - Suppose you want to determine the average...Ch. 18 - Why do most known visual binaries have relatively...Ch. 18 - Figure 18.11 shows the light curve of a...Ch. 18 - There are fewer eclipsing binaries than...Ch. 18 - Within 50 light-years of the Sun, visual binaries...Ch. 18 - Which is easier to observe at large distances-a...Ch. 18 - The eclipsing binary Algol drops from maximum to...Ch. 18 - Review this spectral data for five stars. Which is...Ch. 18 - Which changes by the largest factor along the main...Ch. 18 - Suppose you want to search for brown dwarfs using...Ch. 18 - An astronomer discovers a type-M star with a large...Ch. 18 - Approximately 6000 stars are bright enough to be...Ch. 18 - Use the data in Appendix J to plot an HR diagram...Ch. 18 - Use the diagram you have drawn for Exercise 18.25...Ch. 18 - Use the data in Appendix I to plot an HR diagram...Ch. 18 - If a visual binary system were to have two...Ch. 18 - Two stars are in a visual binary star system that...Ch. 18 - Describe the spectra for a spectroscopic binary...Ch. 18 - Figure 18.7 shows the velocity of two stars in a...Ch. 18 - You go out stargazing one night, and someone asks...Ch. 18 - If you were to compare three stars with the same...Ch. 18 - Are supergiant stars also extremely massive?...Ch. 18 - Consider the following data on four stars: Which...Ch. 18 - If two stars are in a binary system with a...Ch. 18 - It is possible that stars as much as 200 times the...Ch. 18 - The lowest mass for a true star is 1/12 the mass...Ch. 18 - Spectral types are an indicator of temperature....Ch. 18 - We can estimate the masses of most of the stars in...Ch. 18 - In Diameters of Stars, the relative diameters of...Ch. 18 - Now calculate the radius of Sirius’ white dwarf...Ch. 18 - How does this radius of Sirius B compare with that...Ch. 18 - From the previous calculations and the results...Ch. 18 - How much would you weigh if you were suddenly...Ch. 18 - The star Betelgeuse has a temperature of 3400 K...Ch. 18 - Using the information provided in Table 18.1, what...Ch. 18 - Confirm that the angular diameter of the Sun of...Ch. 18 - An eclipsing binary star system is observed with...Ch. 18 - If a 100 solar mass star were to have a luminosity...Ch. 18 - If Betelgeuse had a mass that was 25 times that of...

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