NAEP Science Grade 12

Category - Earth Science

Astronomers use which of the following properties of stars to plot them on the Hertzsprung- Russell diagram?
  1. Proximity to Earth and age.
  2. Lifecycle stage and spectral class.
  3. Temperature and luminosity.
  4. Size and composition.
Explanation
Correct Response: C. The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (H-R diagram) is a scatter plot of different types of stars that graphs a star's brightness against its temperature. Brightness is a measure of a star's luminosity and the temperature is dependent on the star's color or spectral class. Both of these characteristics depend on the particular star's composition. With some additional observational data, a star's distance and age (A) and its lifecycle stage (B) can be estimated by analyzing the star's position on the H-R diagram. These properties, however, are not used to plot a star's position on the diagram. The size and composition of a star (D) are also properties that can be estimated using information from the H-R diagram in combination with information from astronomical observations; however, they are not properties used to plot the star's position on the H-R diagram.
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