Life Cycle of a Star and the Sun

Life Cycle of a Star

Multiple Choice

What 2 elements are stars mainly comprised of?

• Hydrogen and helium

• Methane and potassium

• Hydrogen and argon

• Nitrogen and helium

Star Life Cycle

Death of Stars:

–What stars end up as depend on mass

Low and Medium Mass stars

•Planetary nebula --------- white dwarf

High mass stars (10 x or greater)

•Supernova --------- neutron star or black hole

Multiple Choice

The life cycles of stars are determined by their:

• mass (size)

• color

• distance from Earth

• how bright they are

Birth

Stars start out in giant clouds of dust called nebula. Gravity forces the dust to bunch together. As more and more dust bunches up, gravity gets stronger and it starts to get hot and becomes a protostar.

Watch: A Star is Born

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7MG-LahuX4

Multiple Choice

All stars begin their life as a

• Main Sequence

• Nebula

• Protostar

• Black Dwarf

Multiple Choice

This is a young star that glows as gravity brings it together

• Nebula

• Protostar

• Main-sequence star

• Red giant

Main Sequence Stars

Once a star, it will continue to burn energy and glow for billions of years. This is the state of the star for the majority of its life and is called the "main sequence". During this time a balance is met between gravity wanting to shrink the star and heat wanting to make it grow bigger. The star will remain this way until it runs out of hydroge

Multiple Choice

Our sun is currently in what star stage?

• Protostar

• Nebula

• Main Sequence

• Red Giant

Multiple Choice

The core of a Red Giant collapses and becomes a ___________________.

• White Dwarf
• Blue Supergiant
• Red Supergiant
• Black Hole

Multiple Choice

A gigantic explosion that causes the death of a large star is called

• pulsar
• red giant 
• supernova
• black hole