Unit 5 Part 2 - Energy and The Conservation of Energy

Determine how a red giant turns into a planetary nebula. 

• Nuclear fusion in the core
• Absorption of nearby stars
• Stellar mass loss and ejection of outer layers
• Supernova explosion

Order the sentences to describe what happens when a small star dies.

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Groups:

(a) Stable Star to Super Cool Red Giant

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(b) Red Ginat to Planetary Nebula

• The core gets so hot, that helium becomes to fuse to make Carbon and Oxygen

• Gravity makes helium core very hot

• Helium has fused, the dense carbon oxygen core cools off!

• BOOOM!

• Outer layers start to expand b/c of helium

• Hydrogen isn't burned anymore, Hydroggen takes place from the heavier mass

• Outer layers of the star drift away by weaker gravity

Identify which two of the following apply to white dwarfs. 

1. 

• White dwarfs are extremely dense and hot
• White dwarfs are the most common type of star in the universe
• White dwarfs are the remnants of mostly carbon and oxygen

• N/A

When a red supergiant collapses, the outer parts are blasted off into space in a: 

• white dwarf formation
• neutron star formation
• black hole formation
• supernova explosion

Identify which options complete the sentence.

Neutron stars

• Are the smallest and densest stars known to exist
• Are composed primarily of neutrons
• are very small compared to most stars

• are extremely dense

Canopus is the second brightest star in the sky. Its diameter is 70 times greater than the Sun's and it is 10 times more massive.

Determine what it will become at the end of its life. 

• Supernova
• Neutron star
• White dwarf
• Black hole

VY Canis Majoris is a huge red supergiant in the last stages of its life. It has a radius 14,000 times greater than the Sun's and it is 30 times more massive.

Determine what it will become at the end of its life. 

• neutron star
• white dwarf
• supernova
• black hole

Describe what a supernova is, and explain what causes it. 

• A supernova is a type of black hole that forms when a star collapses under its own gravity.
• A supernova is a powerful and extremely luminous stellar explosion that occurs during the last stages of a massive star's life. It is caused by the collapse of the star's core and the subsequent release of an enormous amount of energy.
• A supernova is a result of a collision between two stars in space.
• A supernova is caused by the explosion of a planet in a star system.

Propose why large stars are able to fuse carbon and oxygen in their final stages, forming heavier elements. 

• Large stars have a longer lifespan, allowing more time for carbon and oxygen fusion to occur.
• Large stars have a stronger gravitational pull, which helps in fusing carbon and oxygen.
• Large stars have enough mass and temperature to overcome the Coulomb barrier, allowing nuclear fusion to occur.
• Large stars have a higher concentration of carbon and oxygen compared to smaller stars.

gravitational potential energy, E_p = mgh

• mgh^2
• mg^2h
• m^2gh
• mgh