The Star Life Cycle
a spinning cloud of gas and dust; stellar nursery
What is a nebula?
Hydrogen (H, 1)
What is the Big Bang?
When scientists believe the formation of our solar system occurred
Other than earth, the planet/moon that is most likely to be able to sustain life
What is Mars?
the method used by scientists to determine the age of an object (namely our solar system) by measuring the amount of a radioactive isotope it contains and its decay product
What is radioactive dating?
the powerful explosion of a star which happens when a massive star dies
What is a supernova?
Uranium (U, 92)
What is a supernova explosion?
our sun is considered to be this type of star, meaning that it will die as a white dwarf
What is a low mass star?
The region around a star where a planet could have liquid water on its surface
What is a habitable zone/goldilocks zone?
the time required for any specified property (e.g. the concentration of a substance in the body) to decrease by half
What is a half-life?
gravity + spinning =
What is fusion?
Potassium (K, 19)
the accepted astronomical model of the solar system that has the sun as the center
What is heliocentrism?
Acceptable answer: heliocentric
Order the following objects from smallest to largest:
galaxy, planet, solar system, star, universe, moon, nebula
What is moon, planet, star, solar system, nebula galaxy, and universe?
the objects that scientists use to support the age of our Solar System and its formation
What are meteorites?
The two possible outcomes of a high mass star's death
What are neutron stars and black holes?
Gold (Au, 79)
What is a supernova explosion?
a large ring of irregulary shaped rocky objects that orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter
What is an asteroid belt?
The three main requirements for life
What is a liquid medium, energy source, and raw materials?
What is three?
a glowing shell of gas and dust expelled by a dying low mass star
What is a planetary nebula?
Iron (Fe, 26)
What is a low mass star?
The primary reason for the composition of the inner rocky planets and the gassy outer planets
What are solar winds?
The rocky planets that are closest to the sun are often given this name, indicating that they may have life on them
What is terrestrial?
the percentage of daughter product that is present after one year of an object that has a half-life of 6 months
What is 75%?