Redshift and the expanding universe
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.
A distant galaxy's hydrogen lines sit at longer wavelengths than in the lab. What is this called, by Ari's reading?
- Blueshift
- A red-colored galaxy
- Absorption
- Redshift
What does a redshift tell Bo about a galaxy?
Two spectrum strips: lab lines, and a galaxy's lines shifted toward the red end. Two spectrum strips: lab lines, and a galaxy's lines shifted toward the red end. lab lines galaxy's lines red end - It is hotter than our galaxy
- It is made of red stars
- It is moving toward us
- It is moving away from us
A galaxy shows redshift, but in a photo it looks blue-white. Is that possible, by Kira's reading?
A blue-white galaxy beside its spectrum strip, with lines shifted toward the red end. A blue-white galaxy beside its spectrum strip, with lines shifted toward the red end. blue-white galaxy spectrum strip red end - Yes, but just if it is very close
- No: blue means it moves toward us
- No: redshifted galaxies must look red
- Yes: redshift is about line positions, not color
Spectrum strip with lab line positions marked and an arrow toward each end. A galaxy is moving toward Earth. Which way are its lines shifted, by Jun's reading?
- Into the infrared
- Toward longer, redder wavelengths
- Toward shorter, bluer wavelengths
- It does not shift
NASA predicts the Andromeda galaxy will meet the Milky Way in about 4 billion years. What shift does Andromeda's light show, by Luz's reading?
Diagram: the Milky Way and Andromeda with an arrow showing Andromeda coming closer. Diagram: the Milky Way and Andromeda with an arrow showing Andromeda coming closer. Diagram Milky Way Andromeda coming closer - A redshift, like the far galaxies
- A redshift, since it is far away
- No shift, since it is a neighbor
- A blueshift, since it is coming closer
Read this first
Galaxies (model data)
Galaxy Distance (Mpc) Speed away (km/s) P 20 1,400 Q 50 3,500 R 100 7,000 S 200 14,000 What does the table show about farther galaxies, by Noah's reading?
- Farther galaxies move away slower
- Nearer galaxies move away fastest
- Galaxies move at one shared speed
- Farther galaxies move away faster
On a graph of speed against distance for these galaxies, what shape do the points make, by Pia's reading?
- Points showing the Milky Way at the center
- A straight line rising to the right
- A line falling to the right
- A flat, level line
Every galaxy far away seems to move away from the Milky Way. Does that put us at the center, by Ren's reading?
Dots on a stretching rubber sheet, with arrows from one dot to the others. Dots on a stretching rubber sheet, with arrows from one dot to the others. - No: the far galaxies are coming closer
- Yes: galaxies flee from our galaxy
- Yes: we are at the center of the expansion
- No: every galaxy would see the same thing
Hydrogen's lab line is at 656.3 nm. In a galaxy it sits at 662.9 nm. By how much has it shifted, by Tala's math?
Spectrum strip: lab line 656.3 nm; galaxy line 662.9 nm. Spectrum strip: lab line 656.3 nm; galaxy line 662.9 nm. Spectrum strip lab line 656.3 nm galaxy line 662.9 nm - 1,319.2 nm
- 6.6 nm toward shorter wavelengths
- 6.6 nm toward longer wavelengths
- 0.6 nm
Speed ≈ z × 300,000 km/s; z = 0.01. For small redshifts, speed ≈ z × 300,000 km/s. A galaxy has z = 0.01. About how fast is it moving away, by Esme's math?
- About 3,000 km/s
- About 0.01 km/s
- About 300 km/s
- About 30,000,000 km/s