Star Formation

What causes stars to form out of such gas clouds?

• heat from starlight

• chemical transformations

• gravity

• evaporation

A star is born when gas and dust from a nebula become so dense and hot that nuclear fusion starts. Which of the following forces is responsible for the formation of a star?

• friction

• gravitation

• electromagnetic energy

• magnetism

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-4

Which of the following describes a major role of gravity in star formation?

• Gravity causes an interstellar cloud fragment to expand rapidly until it is large enough to form a star at its center.

• Asteroids passing by a solar system are pulled in by planets' gravities to form a star at the center of the solar system.

• Gravity compresses gases at the center of a solar nebula until temperatures are high enough for nuclear fusion to occur.

• The gravitational forces of planets push gases from their atmospheres to form a star at the solar system's center.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-4

Which of the following is true about nuclear fusion in stars?

• The process combines heavier elements to form lighter elements.

• The process releases great amounts of energy over millions or billions of years.

• The process occurs near the stars' surfaces, but not inside their cores.

• all of these

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

Which of the following accurately describes the main reaction that generates the Sun's light?

• Oxygen reacts with carbon to form carbon dioxide.

• Hydrogen nuclei fuse, forming helium and releasing energy.

• Light reacts with water to form glucose.

• Iron reacts with oxygen to form iron oxide.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

What process increases the thermal energy of atoms in a star and impacts the color of light a star radiates?

• the conversion of mass into energy during nuclear fusion

• the destruction of matter caused by a star’s magnetic field

• the change of energy into mass during chemical reactions

• the melting of fuels that are located in the core of a star

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

In stars, hydrogen nuclei combine with each other to form helium and other heavier elements. What is this process called?

• fission

• wave motion

• convection

• fusion

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

Satellites in orbit around the Earth....

• produce data of poor quality because of Earth's atmosphere.

• may contain telescopes and other instruments to study space.

• must return to Earth to deliver the data that they collect.

• all of the above

Space probes can...

• carry specialized instruments for specific space missions.

• study parts of the solar system too dangerous for humans.

• travel farther than Earth-orbiting satellites.

• all of the above

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-4

How does a spectroscope help astronomers learn information about a distant star?

• It records the mass and velocity of a distant star, which indicates the sizes of all planets that orbit around the star.

• It measures the volume of a star, which shows the different states of matter that are found on the surface of the star.

• It absorbs and separates light from a star into its different components, which reveal the type of elements found in the star.

• It collects data about the kinds of nuclear reactions happening in a star, which gives information about the star's density.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-2

NGSS.HS-PS4-3