What happens to a low-mass star after helium flash?
answer
Its luminosity goes down.
question
What would you be most likely to find if you returned to the solar system in 10.0 billion years?
answer
A white dwarf
question
Which of the following lists the stages of life for a low-mass star in the correct order?
answer
protostar, main-sequence star, red giant, planetary nebula, white dwarf
question
An H-R diagram for a globular cluster will show a horizontal branch—a line of stars above the main sequence but to the left of the subgiants and red giants. Which of the following statements about these horizontal branch stars is true?
answer
They generate energy through both hydrogen fusion and helium fusion.
question
The ultimate fate of our Sun is to _____.
answer
become a white dwarf that will slowly cool with time
question
Which of these stars has the hottest core?
answer
a white main-sequence star
question
Which of these stars does not have fusion occurring in its core?
answer
a red giant
question
What would stars be like if hydrogen had the smallest mass per nuclear particle?
answer
Nuclear fusion would not occur in stars of any mass.
question
What would stars be like if carbon had the smallest mass per nuclear particle?
answer
Supernovae would be more common.
question
What happens to the core of a high-mass star after it runs out of hydrogen?
answer
It shrinks and heats up.
question
Which of these elements had to be made in a supernova explosion?
answer
Uranium
question
What happens when a main-sequence star exhausts its core hydrogen fuel supply?
answer
The core shrinks while the rest of the star expands.
question
The main source of energy for a star as it grows in size to become a red giant is ______.
answer
hydrogen fusion in a shell surrounding the central core
question
Which of the following pairs of atomic nuclei would feel the strongest repulsive electromagnetic force if you tried to push them together?
answer
helium and helium
question
Which of the following stars will certainly end its life in a supernova?
answer
a 10 solar mass star
question
In order to predict whether a star will eventually fuse oxygen into a heavier element, what do you need to know about the star?
answer
its mass
question
Why is iron significant to understanding how a supernova occurs?
answer
Iron cannot release energy either by fission or fusion.
question
Which low-mass star does NOT have fusion occurring in its central core?
answer
a red giant
question
Where does gold (the element) come from?
answer
It is produced during the supernova explosions of high-mass stars.
question
What do astronomers mean when they say that we are all "star stuff"?
answer
that the carbon, oxygen, and many elements essential to life were created by nucleosynthesis in stellar cores
question
Which two energy sources can help a star maintain its internal thermal pressure?
answer
nuclear fusion and gravitational contraction
question
What type of star is our Sun?
answer
low-mass star
question
Which of the following statements about degeneracy pressure is not true?
answer
Degeneracy pressure varies with the temperature of the star.
question
What happens when a star exhausts its core hydrogen supply?
answer
Its core contracts, but its outer layers expand and the star becomes bigger and brighter.
question
What is happening inside a star while it expands into a subgiant?
answer
It is fusing hydrogen into helium in a shell outside the core.
question
Compared to the star it evolved from, a red giant is
answer
cooler and brighter.
question
Why does a star grow larger after it exhausts its core hydrogen?
answer
Hydrogen fusion in a shell outside the core generates enough thermal pressure to push the upper layers outward.
question
How many helium nuclei fuse together when making carbon?
answer
3
question
The helium fusion process results in the production of
answer
carbon
question
What happens after a helium flash?
answer
The core quickly heats up and expands.
question
What is a carbon star?
answer
a red giant star whose atmosphere becomes carbon-rich through convection from the core
question
What is a planetary nebula?
answer
the expanding shell of gas that is no longer gravitationally held to the remnant of a low-mass star
question
What happens to the core of a star after a planetary nebula occurs?
answer
It becomes a white dwarf.
question
Which of the following sequences correctly describes the stages of life for a low-mass star?
answer
protostar, main-sequence, red giant, white dwarf
question
Compared to the star it evolved from, a white dwarf is
answer
hotter and dimmer.
question
Which element has the lowest mass per nuclear particle and therefore cannot release energy by either fusion or fission?
answer
iron
Haven't found what you need?
Search for quizzes and test answers now
Quizzes.studymoose.com uses cookies. By continuing you agree to our cookie policy
