Star Vocabulary
A giant cloud of gas and dust in space where stars form.
What is a Nebula?
The main energy source for stars.
Nuclear Fusion
Correct sequence for a low-mass star’s life cycle.
nebula → main sequence → red giant → white dwarf
Explosive death of a massive star that creates heavy elements.
What is a supernova?
Where is the Sun located on the HR Diagram?
What is the main sequence?
A hot, bright star that fuses hydrogen into helium in its core. (Our Sun is this type of star)
What is a Main Sequence Star?
Fusion in stars turns this element into helium.
What is hydrogen?
What stage is our Sun currently in?
main sequence
What does a high-mass star become after a supernova? Name 3 possible outcomes.
Neutron Star, Black Hole, or star forming Nebula
The general trend between temperature and luminosity in main sequence stars.
Hotter stars are more luminous.
A late stage in a medium-mass star’s life when it expands and cools.
What is a Red Giant?
Using the ESRT, How long does a massive star convert Carbon to Oxygen?
600 years
When a massive star runs out of fuel, what happens next?
It collapses and explodes as a supernova.
What is the main factor that determines whether or not a star will experience a supernova at the end of its life?
Its mass.
Which type of star is hotter but less luminous than the Sun?
What is a white dwarf?
A small, dim, hot remnant left after a low-mass star dies.
What is a White Dwarf?
How long does the Core Collapse of a star last?
1/4 of a second
What kind of star will the Sun eventually become before turning into a white dwarf?
A red giant.
Before a star collapses, what element is made last?
Fe or Iron
Which type of star is both cool and very luminous?
What is a red giant?
The process that powers stars by combining hydrogen into helium.
What is Nuclear Fusion?
What is the last stage of Nucleosynthesis in a massive star?
Si to Fe
Do small and large stars end their lives the same way?
No, low-mass stars become white dwarfs; high-mass stars explode in supernovae and form neutron stars or black holes.
Why can't a star continue to nuclear fusion once iron is created?
Iron does not produce energy.
What two factors determines a star’s position on the HR Diagram?
Its temperature and luminosity.