Life Cycle of Stars _ GCSE Physics

Stars form from clouds of dust and gas due to gravity, becoming protostars. When hot enough, they fuse hydrogen into helium, entering a stable main sequence phase. Stars like our sun eventually become red giants, shedding outer layers to form white dwarfs. Larger stars become red supergiants and explode as supernovae, creating heavy elements and leaving neutron stars or black holes. Stars are crucial for forming elements found on Earth.

What is the initial stage in the formation of a star?

• A red giant

• A protostar

• A white dwarf

• A neutron star

During the main sequence phase, what process provides the outward pressure to balance gravity?

• Nuclear fusion

• Nuclear fission

• Gravitational collapse

• Magnetic fields

What happens to a star similar in size to our sun when it runs out of hydrogen?

• It swells into a red giant

• It explodes in a supernova

• It becomes a black hole

• It turns into a red supergiant

What is left behind after a sun-like star ejects its outer layers?

• A neutron star

• A red supergiant

• A black hole

• A white dwarf

What is the result of a supernova explosion in massive stars?

• Formation of heavier elements

• Creation of a planetary nebula

• Transformation into a red giant

• Formation of a white dwarf