Lesson 5.5.1

5.5.1 Stars Quiz: OCR Physics, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 5.5.1, Stars: 20 multiple choice questions for the OCR Physics (H156), Unit 4: Newtonian world and astrophysics, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the term for a body that orbits a planet?

    • Comet
    • Solar system
    • Asteroid
    • Planetary satellite

  2. Which outward pressure opposes gravitational collapse in a main-sequence star?

    • Radiation pressure
    • Rotational force
    • Magnetic pressure
    • Electrostatic repulsion

  3. What is the expanding outer shell of gas shed by a low-mass star called?

    • Accretion disc
    • Supernova remnant
    • Planetary nebula
    • Protostar

  4. What is the maximum mass of a white dwarf star?

    • 0.5 solar masses
    • 2.0 solar masses
    • 3.0 solar masses
    • 1.44 solar masses

  5. What explosive event occurs when a massive star collapses at the end of its life?

    • Supernova
    • Protostar burst
    • Planetary nebula
    • Nova

  6. What condition defines the boundary of a black hole's event horizon?

    • Light-speed escape velocity
    • Infinite surface area
    • Zero gravitational field
    • Maximum radiation pressure

  7. What quantity is plotted on the vertical axis of a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram?

    • Temperature
    • Luminosity
    • Mass
    • Wavelength

  8. Why are electron energy levels in an atom written as negative values?

    • Electrons are bound
    • Photons carry charge
    • Energy is absorbed
    • Electrons lose mass

  9. What primary nuclear fusion process occurs inside main-sequence stars?

    • Hydrogen into lithium
    • Carbon into iron
    • Helium into carbon
    • Hydrogen into helium

  10. Which principle prevents electrons from occupying the same quantum state in a white dwarf?

    • Pauli exclusion principle
    • Heisenberg uncertainty principle
    • Wien's displacement law
    • Stefan's law

  11. What stellar remnant forms if a collapsing stellar core exceeds 1.44 solar masses?

    • Neutron star
    • Protostar
    • White dwarf
    • Red dwarf

  12. What happens when an electron drops to a lower discrete energy level?

    • Proton is created
    • Photon is emitted
    • Photon is absorbed
    • Electron is lost

  13. What equation calculates the energy of a photon emitted during an electron transition?

    • Delta E = hf
    • Delta E = h / f
    • Delta E = f / h
    • Delta E = hc

  14. What type of spectrum consists of dark lines superimposed on a continuous spectrum?

    • Continuous spectrum
    • Emission line spectrum
    • Absorption line spectrum
    • Blackbody spectrum

  15. In the diffraction grating equation d sin theta = n lambda, what is d?

    • Grating line spacing
    • Light wavelength
    • Diffraction angle
    • Order of maximum

  16. How does the peak emission wavelength of a star change as its temperature increases?

    • It stays constant
    • It doubles
    • It decreases
    • It increases

  17. By what factor does a star's luminosity increase if its temperature doubles?

    • 2
    • 16
    • 4
    • 8

  18. Which two physical laws are combined to calculate the radius of a star?

    • Kepler's and Newton's
    • Wien's and Ohm's
    • Hubble's and Stefan's
    • Wien's and Stefan's

  19. Where are white dwarfs located on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram?

    • Top-right
    • Top-left
    • Bottom-right
    • Bottom-left

  20. How do astronomers determine which elements are present in a star's atmosphere?

    • Absorption spectral lines
    • Peak emission colour
    • Surface temperature values
    • Total mass measurements

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