Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 15: Problem 15

What is the single most important property of a star that will determine its evolution? a. temperature b. composition c. mass d. radius

Short Answer

Expert verified
c. mass

Step by step solution

01

Identify Key Properties

List and understand the key properties of a star: temperature, composition, mass, and radius.
02

Understand Star Evolution

Recognize that star evolution is determined by how the star changes over its lifespan, including fusion processes, lifecycle stages, and eventual fate.
03

Analyze Impact of Each Property

Evaluate the impact each property has on a star's evolution: - Temperature affects the rate of fusion but does not solely determine the lifespan. - Composition influences fusion materials but not the overall evolutionary path. - Mass determines the amount of fuel and the star's lifespan directly. - Radius is a result of other properties and does not dictate evolution by itself.
04

Conclusion

Determine that the most critical property for evolution is the mass, as it directly influences the star’s lifecycle, rate of fusion, and ultimate fate.

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.

star properties
Stars have various properties that can affect their behavior and evolution in space. Some of these properties include:
  • Temperature: Determines how hot the star is and affects the rate of nuclear fusion occurring in its core.
  • Composition: Involves the elements present in a star, which influences the types of fusion reactions that take place.
  • Mass: The most important property, as it dictates the star's energy output and lifespan.
  • Radius: The size of the star, often a result of other properties like mass and temperature.
Understanding these properties helps us predict how a star will change and evolve over time.
mass of stars
The mass of a star plays a crucial role in its evolution. It determines the amount of fuel available for nuclear fusion. More massive stars have more fuel but burn through it quickly, leading to shorter lifespans.
  • Low-mass stars: These stars, like red dwarfs, consume their fuel slowly and can last for billions of years.
  • High-mass stars: Massive stars can be many times larger than our sun. They have much shorter lifespans because they use up their fuel quickly, often resulting in explosive ends like supernovae.
Therefore, a star's mass is the key factor in determining its rate of fusion and overall lifespan.
fusion process
Fusion is the process that powers a star. Inside the core, high temperatures and pressures cause hydrogen atoms to fuse into helium, releasing energy in the form of light and heat.
The rate of fusion depends on the star's mass. More massive stars have stronger gravitational forces compressing their cores, leading to faster fusion rates.
This process also changes as the star evolves, with different elements being fused as the star ages, affecting its structure and stability.
star lifespan
A star's lifespan varies greatly and is primarily determined by its mass.
  • Small stars: Can live for tens of billions of years due to their slow fusion rates.
  • Medium-sized stars: Like our Sun, can last around 10 billion years, undergoing changes from main sequence to red giant phases.
  • Massive stars: Have short but intense lifespans, often only a few million years, ending in catastrophic events like supernovae.
The amount of fuel and how quickly it is consumed ultimately dictates how long a star will live.
star lifecycle
The lifecycle of a star includes several stages:
  • Protostar: A collapsing cloud of gas and dust forming a star.
  • Main Sequence: The longest phase, where the star fuses hydrogen into helium in its core.
  • Red Giant/Supergiant: As the hydrogen depletes, the star expands and fuses heavier elements.
  • Final Stages: Depending on the mass, it might become a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole.
Each stage is influenced by the star's initial mass, dictating how it evolves and what it ultimately becomes.

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

Assume a brown dwarf has a surface temperature of \(1000 \mathrm{K}\) and approximately the same radius as Jupiter. What is its luminosity compared to that of the Sun? How many brown dwarfs like this one would be needed to produce the luminosity of a star like the Sun?

The Milky Way contains several thousand giant molecular clouds. Describe a giant molecular cloud and its role in star formation

Citizen science: Go to the website for Stardust (http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu), a project in which volunteers use a virtual microscope to analyze digital scans of particles collected by the Stardust mission in \(2006 .\) The goal is to identify tiny interstellar dust grains. Follow the steps under "Get Started" (you need to create a log-in account) and help search for stardust. Click on "News." What has been learned from this project? Remember to save the images for your homework, if required.

Which of the following has contributed most to our understanding of the process of star formation? a. Astronomers have observed star formation as it happens for a small number of stars. b. Astronomers have observed star formation as it happens for a large number of stars. c. Astronomers have observed many different stars at each step of the formation process. d. Theoretical models predict the way stars form.

Phases of the interstellar medium include (choose all that apply a. hot, low-density gas. b. cold, high-density gas. c. hot, high-density gas. d. cold, low-density gas.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Turning Points in Physics

Read Explanation

Electrostatics

Read Explanation

Astrophysics

Read Explanation

Engineering Physics

Read Explanation

Work Energy and Power

Read Explanation

Linear Momentum

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