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    Regents Earth Science Test Preparation Practice

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    Stars

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    Base your answers to questions 3 on the diagram below. The diagram represents the inferred stages in the formation of our solar system. Stage 1 shows a contracting gas cloud. The remaining stages show the gas cloud flattening into a spinning disk as planets formed around our Sun.

    seasons-and-astronomy, stars, seasons-and-astronomy, gravity, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, geocentric-model-heliocentric-model fig: esci12012-examw_g30.png

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    Base your answers to questions 4 on the diagram below, which shows the change in the size of a star such as our Sun as it evolves from a protostar to a white dwarf star.

    seasons-and-astronomy, stars, standard-6-interconnectedness, models fig: esci12013-exam_g19.png

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    Base your answers to questions 5 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents the inferred changes to the luminosity and color of the Sun throughout its life cycle. The diagonal dashed line represents the main sequence stars. The numbers 1 through 5 represent stages in the life cycle of the Sun.

    seasons-and-astronomy, stars, standard-6-interconnectedness, models fig: esci12014-examw_g28.png

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    Base your answers to questions 7 on the cross-sectional model below and the table on the following page, and on your knowledge of Earth science. The model shows a reddish-orange supergiant star. The layers in the model indicate where new chemical elements are forming from existing elements as temperature and pressure conditions increase with depth within the star. In each layer, atomic nuclei of the existing chemical element combine to form the new elements shown to the right of the arrow. The table shows the chemical symbols and names of selected elements in the star.

    seasons-and-astronomy, stars, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, changing-length-of-a-shadow-based-on-the-motion-of-the-sun, standard-6-interconnectedness, models fig: esci12016-examw_g38.png

    seasons-and-astronomy, stars, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, changing-length-of-a-shadow-based-on-the-motion-of-the-sun, standard-6-interconnectedness, models fig: esci12016-examw_g39.png

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    Base your answers to questions 9 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents the inferred origin and evolution of most stars.

    seasons-and-astronomy, stars, seasons-and-astronomy, gravity, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, geocentric-model-heliocentric-model fig: esci12020-examw_g24.png

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    Base your answers to questions 10 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents the present position of our solar system in a side view of the Milky Way Galaxy. The distance across the Milky Way Galaxy is measured in light-years.

    seasons-and-astronomy, stars, standard-6-interconnectedness, models fig: esci12014-examw_g35.png

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    Base your answers to questions 11 on the Characteristics of Stars graph in image provided and on your knowledge of Earth science.

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    Base your answers to questions 12 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents a model of the expanding universe.

    seasons-and-astronomy, big-bang, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, geocentric-model-heliocentric-model fig: esci12017-examw_g28.png

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    Base your answers to questions 13 on the passage and the Characteristics of Stars graph below, and your knowledge of Earth science. Letters A, B, and C represent main sequence stars on the graph. The giant star Aldebaran is also shown.

    Globular Star Clusters

    Globular star clusters appear as small, hazy spots among the other stars. These clusters are groups of hundreds of thousands of stars held together by gravity. Individual stars within a cluster can be seen by using powerful telescopes, allowing scientists to determine their luminosities and temperatures.

    All of the stars in a given cluster formed at the same time. In young clusters, most of the stars are classified as main sequence stars. As the stars in a cluster age, they eventually use up their core hydrogen and expand, changing from main sequence stars to giants. The most massive main sequence stars become supergiants. The less massive a star is in the cluster, the longer it remains a main sequence star. Over time, the number of main sequence stars in a cluster decreases.

    seasons-and-astronomy, stars, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, geocentric-model-heliocentric-model, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, changing-length-of-a-shadow-based-on-the-motion-of-the-sun, standard-6-interconnectedness, systems-thinking fig: esci12018-examw_g49.png

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    Base your answers to questions 14 on the diagram and photograph below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents the constellation Ursa Major. One star, Phecda, has been labeled. Letter X represents the location of the Messier 81 galaxy (M81), which can be observed near Ursa Major. The photograph shows the Messier 81 galaxy as viewed through a telescope.

    seasons-and-astronomy, stars, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, velocity-slope-sediment-size-channel-shape-stream-valume-distance-from-the-sun-gravitational-force-period-of-revolution-speed-of-revolution, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, changing-length-of-a-shadow-based-on-the-motion-of-the-sun fig: esci12019-examw_g45.png

    seasons-and-astronomy, stars, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, velocity-slope-sediment-size-channel-shape-stream-valume-distance-from-the-sun-gravitational-force-period-of-revolution-speed-of-revolution, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, changing-length-of-a-shadow-based-on-the-motion-of-the-sun fig: esci12019-examw_g46.png

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    Base your answers to questions 15 on the information and data table below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The table shows data for the six planets in the Kepler-11 star system.

    Kepler-11 is one of many star systems discovered by space satellites. Scientists find this system unusual because of its small size and its six planets, identified by letters b through g, that orbit relatively close to its central star. The central star, Kepler-11, has a surface temperature of 5663 K and a luminosity of 1.0.

    seasons-and-astronomy, the-solar-system, standard-1-math-and-science-inquery, velocity-slope-sediment-size-channel-shape-stream-valume-distance-from-the-sun-gravitational-force-period-of-revolution-speed-of-revolution fig: esci12020-examw_g43.png

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