Life Cycle of a Star Quiz

What occurs when a star's core contains mostly iron?

What is the temperature in the core just before a star explodes?

What happens to the matter of a star during a supernova explosion?

What remains after a supernova if the original star was not extremely large?

What occurs in the final phase of a star's collapse?

What determines whether a neutron star or a black hole forms after the supernova?

What characteristic defines a black hole after the core collapses?

What does the term 'super-dense core' refer to following a supernova?

What primarily causes the forces acting upon the core of a collapsing star?

What is the end result for a massive star that undergoes a supernova?

Which stage does a small-to-medium star enter after becoming a red giant?

What triggers the supernova explosion in a massive star?

Which of the following is NOT a stage in the life cycle of an average star?

How does the mass of a star influence its life cycle?

What is the typical evolution path for a star born in a solar nebula?

What happens to the core of a massive star before it goes supernova?

Which of the following stars is classified as a red supergiant?

What leads to the spectacular nature of supernova explosions?

A star begins its life in a solar nebula, a dense cloud of gas and dust.
Stars follow two main life paths based on their mass: average stars or massive stars.
Average stars develop into red giants, then into planetary nebulae, finally ending as white dwarfs.
Massive stars evolve into red supergiants and culminate in a supernova, resulting in either a neutron star or a black hole.
Notable examples of red supergiants include Betelgeuse and Antares.

Supernovae occur in stars with a mass eight times greater than that of the sun.
The explosion arises when fusion reactions cease due to the star exhausting its fuel.
Without fusion, there is no outward pressure to counteract the gravitational pull, leading to core collapse.
As the star's outer layers expand, the core contracts, heating and densifying until it primarily consists of iron.
Fusion stops in the core when only iron is present, leading to a rapid collapse with core temperatures reaching over 100 billion degrees.
The core’s collapse results in the star exploding, creating a shock wave that disperses stellar material into space.

After a supernova, remnants include a neutron star, which is an ultra-dense core primarily composed of neutrons.
If the original star is exceedingly massive, neutron stars may collapse further to form black holes, regions in space with gravitational pulls so strong that even light cannot escape.