Lesson 4.8.2

4.8.2 Red-shift (physics only) Quiz: AQA Physics, Unit 8

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.8.2, Red-shift (physics only): 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Physics (8463), Unit 8: Space physics (physics only), written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What change occurs in the light from distant galaxies to cause red-shift?

    • Increased frequency
    • Decreased speed
    • Decreased wavelength
    • Increased wavelength

  2. How does observed red-shift change as a galaxy's distance increases?

    • It decreases
    • It stays constant
    • It increases
    • It drops to zero

  3. What does observed red-shift provide key evidence for?

    • Collapsing stars
    • Static universe
    • Contracting universe
    • Expanding universe

  4. Which cosmological theory is strongly supported by red-shift observations?

    • Nebular hypothesis
    • Steady state theory
    • Big Bang theory
    • Ptolemaic model

  5. According to the Big Bang theory, what was the early universe like?

    • Hot and dense
    • Cold and sparse
    • Cool and large
    • Dark and empty

  6. What have observations of supernovae since 1998 suggested about distant galaxies?

    • Remaining stationary
    • Moving closer
    • Slowing down
    • Receding ever faster

  7. Which property of light increases in red-shift?

    • Wavelength
    • Amplitude
    • Frequency
    • Speed in a vacuum

  8. Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum do spectral lines shift towards in distant galaxies?

    • Red end
    • X-ray region
    • Blue end
    • Ultraviolet

  9. Light emitted at 500 nm is observed at 600 nm. What term describes this?

    • Red-shift
    • Diffraction
    • Blue-shift
    • Refraction

  10. Galaxy A has a larger red-shift than galaxy B. What does this indicate?

    • Slower recession speed
    • Faster recession speed
    • Higher surface temperature
    • Larger physical size

  11. What is the correct physical meaning of an observed red-shift in starlight?

    • Dust blocking light
    • Galaxy getting hotter
    • Star emitting X-rays
    • Galaxy moving away

  12. What does the observed increase in galaxy speed with distance provide evidence for?

    • Oscillating universe
    • Collapsing universe
    • Static universe
    • Expanding universe

  13. How does the recessional speed of a galaxy relate to its distance?

    • Speed fluctuates randomly
    • Speed remains zero
    • Speed increases
    • Speed decreases

  14. What phenomenon provides the primary evidence supporting the Big Bang theory?

    • Red-shift
    • Radio waves
    • Stellar parallax
    • Blue-shift

  15. A receding galaxy's spectral lines are compared with laboratory values. How are they shifted?

    • Not at all
    • They disappear entirely
    • Towards shorter wavelengths
    • Towards longer wavelengths

  16. What does the expansion of the universe imply about its size in the past?

    • It was infinite
    • It was larger
    • It was unchanging
    • It was smaller

  17. What term describes the observed increase in light wavelength from distant galaxies?

    • Red-shift
    • Diffraction
    • Refraction
    • Blueshift

  18. What do supernova observations suggest about the expansion of the universe?

    • Constant speed
    • Accelerating expansion
    • Contracting universe
    • Decelerating expansion

  19. What does a greater observed increase in wavelength indicate about a galaxy?

    • Receding faster
    • Receding slower
    • Approaching faster
    • Stationary position

  20. Which term describes aspects of the universe like dark matter that remain unexplained?

    • Lab verified
    • Directly observed
    • Not understood
    • Fully proven

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