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9th grade What a star's light shows: spectra and color worksheet

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What a star's light shows: spectra and color

Grade 9 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Table, Lab lines (NIST, air wavelengths), with columns Element, Lines (nm)

    Hydrogen, 656.3, 486.1, 434.0, 410.2; helium, 587.6; sodium, 589.0, 589.6; calcium, 393.4, 396.8.

  2. A star shows dark lines at 589.0, 589.6, 656.3 and 486.1 nm. Which elements does its outer gas contain, by Bo's reading?

    • Helium and calcium
    • Just hydrogen
    • Hydrogen and sodium
    • Just sodium

  3. A star shows dark lines at 587.6, 656.3 and 486.1 nm. Which elements match, by Esme's reading?

    • Just hydrogen
    • Helium and hydrogen
    • Calcium and helium
    • Sodium and hydrogen, since 587.6 is near 589

  4. A star shows dark lines at 393.4, 396.8, 589.0 and 589.6 nm. Which elements match, by Jun's reading?

    • Hydrogen and sodium
    • Helium and calcium
    • Calcium and sodium
    • Just calcium

  5. Peak = 2,898,000 nm·K ÷ temperature; Sun 5,772 K. The Sun's surface is about 5,772 K (IAU). Where does its light peak, by Kira's math?

    • About 5,772 nm
    • About 0.002 nm
    • About 1,000 nm
    • About 502 nm

  6. Peak = 2,898,000 nm·K ÷ temperature; star 3,000 K. A cool star's surface is about 3,000 K. Where does its light peak, by Luz's math?

    • About 290 nm, in the ultraviolet
    • About 966 nm, in the infrared
    • About 502 nm, like the Sun
    • About 3,000 nm

  7. A cloud of hot hydrogen glows in space with nothing bright behind it. What spectrum does Noah expect?

    • A smooth rainbow
    • Bright lines at hydrogen's wavelengths
    • Dark lines everywhere except hydrogen's
    • Dark lines at hydrogen's wavelengths

  8. A cool cloud of gas sits between Pia's telescope and a hot star. What appears in the spectrum?

    • Dark lines at the gas's own wavelengths
    • Bright lines at the gas's wavelengths
    • No lines, since the gas is too cool
    • Lines at random places

  9. Peak = 2,898,000 nm·K ÷ temperature; X peaks at 400 nm, Y at 700 nm. Star X peaks at 400 nm and star Y at 700 nm. About what are their surface temperatures, by Tala's math?

    • X about 7,200 K; Y about 4,100 K
    • X about 4,100 K; Y about 7,200 K
    • X about 1,160,000 K
    • Both about 5,800 K

  10. Star A is blue-white and peaks in the ultraviolet; star B is orange. Which is hotter, by Zee's reading?

    • Star A
    • Star B, which peaks at a longer wavelength
    • They are equally hot
    • Star B, since orange looks warm

  11. A blue star and a red star both show hydrogen's dark lines. What can Ari say?

    • Color shows which elements a star has
    • Both contain hydrogen; their colors differ with temperature
    • The red star lacks hydrogen
    • The blue star is the cooler one
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9th grade What a star's light shows: spectra and color worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

What a star's light shows: spectra and color. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can tell continuous, bright-line and dark-line spectra apart and say which setup makes each.
  • I can match a star's lines to elements using NIST wavelengths, matching the whole pattern.
  • I can use peak wavelength = 2,898,000 nm·K ÷ T both ways, and link color to temperature.

Standard: supports HS-ESS1-2

Words to know

spectrum: Light spread out by wavelength, like a rainbow

absorption line: A dark line where gas absorbs one wavelength

emission line: A bright line where hot gas gives off one wavelength

nanometer: One billionth of a meter; visible light is about 400 to 700 nm

Wien's law: Peak wavelength equals 2,898,000 nm·K divided by temperature

Common mistakes

Your child mixed up the kinds of spectra. A hot dense object gives a smooth rainbow; hot thin gas gives bright lines; cooler gas in front of a hot source gives dark lines.

Your child matched an element from one line or a near match. Each element has its own whole pattern of lines at exact wavelengths (NIST).

Your child swapped star colors and temperatures. Blue stars are the hottest and red stars the coolest.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with what a star's light shows: spectra and color?

Your child mixed up the kinds of spectra. A hot dense object gives a smooth rainbow; hot thin gas gives bright lines; cooler gas in front of a hot source gives dark lines.

Are these 9th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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