Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 13: Problem 31

In the constellation Cygnus, Albireo is a visual binary system whose two components can be seen easily with even a small, amateur telescope. Viewers describe the brighter star as "golden" and the fainter one as "sapphire blue." a. What does this description tell you about the relative temperatures of the two stars? b. What does it tell you about their respective sizes?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The 'golden' star is cooler but larger, while the 'sapphire blue' star is hotter but smaller.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Star Colors and Temperatures

Stars appear in different colors depending on their surface temperatures. A 'golden' star, like Albireo's brighter component, indicates a cooler temperature compared to a 'sapphire blue' star. Generally, yellow and golden stars have temperatures around 5,000 to 6,000 K, while blue stars are much hotter, often exceeding 10,000 K.
02

Relative Temperature Explanation

Since the brighter star is described as 'golden,' it can be inferred that this star has a cooler surface temperature than the 'sapphire blue' star, which is much hotter.
03

Understanding Star Sizes from Brightness

The brightness of a star is not only affected by its temperature but also its size. A cooler, yet visually brighter star, like the 'golden' one in Albireo, suggests it is larger than the 'sapphire blue' star. The larger size compensates for its lower temperature, making it appear brighter.
04

Relative Size Explanation

Given that the 'golden' star is visually brighter but cooler, it must be larger in size compared to the 'sapphire blue' star, which is hotter but less visually bright.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Understanding Star Temperatures
Stars emit different colors based on their surface temperatures. The color of a star can tell us a lot about how hot it is. Cooler stars, like the 'golden' star in the Albireo system, have surface temperatures around 5,000 to 6,000 Kelvin. These stars appear yellow or golden.
On the other hand, hotter stars emit more blue light. The 'sapphire blue' star in Albireo is an example of this. Blue stars often have surface temperatures exceeding 10,000 Kelvin.
So, when we see a 'golden' star next to a 'sapphire blue' star, we can infer that the blue star is much hotter than the golden one.
Understanding Star Colors
The color of a star gives us important clues about its properties. As mentioned, cooler stars appear red, orange, or yellow, and hotter stars look blue or white.
This range of colors is due to the different wavelengths of light that stars emit. Cooler stars emit more light at longer wavelengths, which we perceive as red or yellow. Hotter stars emit more light at shorter wavelengths, which looks blue or white to our eyes.
  • Red: Cooler, under 3,500 K
  • Yellow: Intermediate, 5,000 to 6,000 K
  • Blue: Hotter, over 10,000 K
Understanding Star Sizes
Star sizes can vary greatly, and size affects a star's brightness. A larger star can appear brighter even if it has a cooler temperature.
In the case of Albireo, the 'golden' star is brighter but cooler. This suggests it is larger, making it emit more light overall. The 'sapphire blue' star is hotter but smaller, so it appears fainter.
Brightness depends on two key factors: a star's temperature and its size. A very large star, even if cooler, can outshine a smaller, hotter star due to its greater surface area.
So, by observing the colors and brightness of stars, we can infer their relative temperatures and sizes.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Very old stars often have very few heavy elements, while very young stars have much more. What does this difference imply about the chemical evolution of the universe?

The light from stars passes through dust in the Milky Way Galaxy before it reaches Earth, making stars appear dimmer than they actually are. How does this phenomenon affect stellar trigonometric parallax? How does it affect spectroscopic parallax?

Star A and star B have the same luminosity, but star A is hotter than star B. Which of the following statements is true? a. Star A is smaller than star B. b. Star A is farther away than star B. c. Star A is larger than star B. d. Star A is closer than star B.

Betelgeuse (in Orion) has a parallax of \(0.00763 \pm 0.00164\) arcsec, as measured by the Hipparcos satellite. What is the distance to Betelgeuse, and the uncertainty in that measurement?

O stars have relatively featureless visible spectra because 0 stars are a. too hot to have atoms. b. so hot that most atoms are ionized. c. not hot enough for atoms to be ionized. d. so cool that must atoms are in the ground state.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Mechanics and Materials

Read Explanation

Rotational Dynamics

Read Explanation

Wave Optics

Read Explanation

Energy Physics

Read Explanation

Radiation

Read Explanation

Engineering Physics

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free