Sunlight is composed of ______.
- (A) 6 colours
- (B) 7 colours
- (C) 8 colours
- (D) 9 colours
- (B) 7 colours
Sunlight, or white light, contains a rainbow. When it passes through a prism, it gets refracted into the visible spectrum, which consists of the colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, which can be remembered by the acronym VIBGYOR. The electromagnetic radiation in sunlight has a variety of wavelengths. This includes visible light, which ranges from red to violet, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, and small amounts of other types of radiation. When sunlight passes through a prism, it spreads out into a spectrum of colors. This demonstrates that sunlight is a mixture of different types of electromagnetic radiation.
The rarest gas in air is:
- (A) Neon
- (B) Carbon Dioxide
- (C) Helium
- (D) Oxygen
- (A) Neon
There are some gases that are known as “rare gases” as they are found in very low proportions in the atmosphere. Neon is the rarest gas.
When objects in irregular shapes orbiting the sun are called:
- (A) Comet
- (B) Asteroid
- (C) Weasel
- (D) Meteor
- (B) Asteroid
An asteroid is a small rocky object that orbits the Sun. Since they are not large enough to have a strong gravitational pull, they do not form perfect spheres like planets, and that is why they appear irregular in shape. Most of these asteroids are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
The lowest zone of the atmosphere containing about seventy five per cent of total mass of atmosphere and ninety percent of water vapour is called:
- (A) Troposphere
- (B) Ionosphere
- (C) Exosphere
- (D) Stratosphere
- (A) Troposphere
The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere. It contains about 75% of the total mass of the atmosphere and 99% of the water vapour in it. It extends from the surface of the Earth to 10-15 kilometers, and this is where all the weather occurs.
The theory that explains the origin of the universe by a huge explosion is called:
- (A) Big Bang
- (B) Steady State
- (C) Black Hole
- (D) Nebular
- (A) Big Bang
The Big Bang theory explains how the Universe started with a hot and dense phase and a rapid expansion, often compared to a massive explosion. Approximately 13.8 billion years ago, space expanded, and matter, energy, and time emerged.
Constellation is:
- (A) Classification of stars satellites
- (B) Classification of stars
- (C) Patterns or groups of stars in the sky
- (D) Patterns or groups of satellites in the sky
- (C) Patterns or groups of stars in the sky
A constellation is a group of stars that, from the Earth perspective, combine to make a distinct shape. In the past, these shapes were given names that were derived from mythology, animals, or common objects. Currently, the term is sometimes used by astronomers to refer to specific regions of the sky, but the traditional and most widely accepted definition is the grouping of stars. All stars, in the end, are part of one of the 88 defined constellation areas. As the study of astronomy progressed and telescopes became more modern, it became possible to identify stars that are outside the bright patterns of the traditional constellations—stars that are not part of the original pictures of the stars. On a clear night, you can see some of these “hidden” stars just by looking up. Using binoculars, even more stars are visible, and with a telescope, even more can be seen. All the stars you see, in the end, are part of one unique group: the stars of our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
The Sun takes _____ years to travel through the galaxy.
- (A) 10 million years
- (B) 25 million years
- (C) 100 million years
- (D) 226 million years
- (D) 226 million years
The Sun takes one orbit around the center of the Milky Way galaxy every 226 million years, which is known as a galactic year. During this period, the Sun and the entire Solar System make one orbit around the center of the galaxy at a speed of 828,000 kilometers per hour (514,000 miles per hour).
Days and nights are equal throughout the year at:
- (A) North America
- (B) South Africa
- (C) Equator
- (D) North Pole
- (C) Equator
The only spot on Earth where the length of day and night remains more or less constant throughout the year is at the Equator, with day and night lasting approximately 12 hours each. This is because, while the Earth has a tilt of 23.5 degrees, the Equator is equidistant from the North and South Poles.
Celestial body that affects tides of oceans is:
- (A) Sun
- (B) Moon
- (C) Galaxy
- (D) Meteorite
- (B) Moon
The tides on our planet are primarily caused by the Moon. Although the Sun also has a pull on the Earth’s oceans, the Moon’s proximity results in its tidal force being approximately twice as strong. This results in a tidal force that draws the ocean towards the side of the Earth closest to the Moon as well as the opposite side, resulting in high and low tides due to the Earth’s rotation.
Huge cloud of gas and dust in universe is called:
- (A) Constellation
- (B) Satellite
- (C) Meteor
- (D) Nebula
- (D) Nebula
A nebula is a huge cloud of gas and dust that is drifting in space. Composed of hydrogen and helium gas, these clouds also contain trace amounts of heavier elements like oxygen and carbon. Nebulae can also serve as nurseries for new stars, where the force of gravity causes gas and dust to come together to form a new star. They can also form out of the aftermath of a dying star, a supernova.