View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. A spectrum analysis of what nebula proved that it was not gaseous but contained stars?

2. According to the author in Chapter 19, what has demonstrated that man cannot be a detached observer?

3. What is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916?

4. What refers to one of the extremely small constituents of matter, as an atom or nucleus?

5. What is the first premise of "On the Origin of Species"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What influenced Emmanuel Kant in his interest in cosmology according to the author in Chapter 8: "Deep Space"?

2. What discoveries does the author describe regarding spiral nebulae in Chapter 9: "Island Universes"?

3. What were the strengths of Darwin's "The Origin of the Species," according to the author in Chapter 14: "The Evolution of Atoms and Stars"?

4. How does the author describe the world of science in the twentieth century in Chapter 17: "The Axis of History"?

5. What led to the origination of spectroscopy and astrophysics, according to the author in Chapter 10: "Einstein's Sky"?

6. Who associated the red-shift of the galaxies with Einstein's relativity, according to the author in Chapter 12: "Sermons in Stones"?

7. Who was the first physicist to conceptualize the vacuum genesis? How was his work perceived according to the author in Chapter 18: "The Origin of the Universe"?

8. Who developed a unified electroweak theory, according to the author in Chapter 16: "Rumors of Perfection"? Where was it tested?

9. What does the author assert man has always speculated about in Chapter 18: "The Origin of the Universe"?

10. What does the author assert to be the scientist's method and approach in Chapter 20: "The Persistence of Mystery"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Copernican astronomy and Galileo's later years in house arrest. How long did Galileo live under house arrest? What were his feelings about the situation? Who placed Galileo under house arrest? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Describe, analyze and discuss the fall of Rome, the Brethren of Purity, the Islamic followers of Ptolemy, and Ancius Boethius. When did the fall of Rome take place and how did it affect the sciences? What impact did the rise of Christianity have on astronomy and cosmology, according to the author? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the work of William Herschel and the discovery of Uranus. What influenced Herschel to study nebulae? How did Herschel improve upon the telescope? How did the ideas of Kant and Lambert influence Herschel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 956 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample