Star Life Cycle Web Activity

Directions: Click on each of the links. READ all of the information on

each page AND read information within the animation link or interactive
labs. You will be tested on the information you gather. Give detailed
answers for each question.
I. ook at this !tar ifec"cle diagram taken from
http#$$www.enchantedlearning.com$sub%ects$astronom"$stars$lifec"cle$
The Life Cycle of Stars
&ased on the diagram' how do all stars start(
)hat is the main determining factors as to whether a star ends up as a black dwarf' neutron star or
black hole(

II. Go to http#$$sunshine.chpc.utah.edu$labs$star*life$starlife*main.html +his page will give more
details on each of these stages. Read the content of this first page. ,+his website is sponsored b" the
-niversit" of -tah and A!./RE Astroph"sics !cience .ro%ect 0 /ntegrating Research 1 Education.2
1) sing the human life cycle analogy! what star "hase is the birth #fetus) of a star and what is the
usual end stage #death) of the star$
%) Describe what the interstellar medium is&.what are ' of the elements in(ol(ed$
III. Click on .rotostars 3 A !tar is &orn h"perlink. .la" the animation that shows how a star begins
to form from a nebula. Now pla" the equilibrium animation and then read the rest of the page.
') Define nebula and describe what e)uilibrium is for a star.
*) +hat are the two o"tions for a "rotostar and what determines which o"tion a "rotostar will
ta,e$
I-. Click on 4ain !equence of a !tar. Read the entire page first' including its questions. +hen click on
beginning of their life c"cles of the /nteractive ab and tr" to answer the questions. Remember to notice
the top of the animation to see if it reaches main sequence and notice for how long.
.) +hich star has a longer life s"an! a larger one or a smaller one$ /0"lain why in details.
-.. 5rom this point on "ou make click on the 6ellow Right Arrow at the bottom of each page. 7r
Click on Equilibrium of a !tar. Read the web page and the summar" of a t"pical c"cle of stars given
here. !tars repeat a c"cle of reaching equilibrium and then losing it after burning out one fuel source8
then condensing 9shrinking: because of gravit"' making the core more dense and hotter8so hot that now
a new element can be used as fuel to burn and equilibrium is reached once again. Eventuall" the fuel
sources run out and the star dies or e;plodes. +he main fuel sources are <"dgroen' then <elium' then
Carbon' then cool off to death. 12. 3uclear fusion is the "rocess of fusing #combining) two
elements together under e0tremely high tem"eratures to form new! hea(ier elements. +hat are
the ' main fuels that a star can use for fusion reactions$
-I. Click on the practice qui= link and answer the > Equilibrium +rue$5alse ?uestions. Read
the answers given to all > questions.
4)+rite down the ' sentence answer to 51 on this online "ractice )ui6 regarding gra(ity.
-II. Click on the !tar ?ui= 9part @: and answer questions.
7) se the answers to the 2 )uestions to gi(e a logical se)uence #si0 ste"s) describing what
ha""ens once the 8ain Se)uence Star runs out of hydrogen fuel&until the "oint where it
reaches e)uilibrium again. The 2 )uestions will wal, you right through the "rocess.
-III. Click the 6ellow Right Arrow 7R go back and click on After 4ain !equence. Read this page
about the inevitable death 9when star no longer shines: of the star.
I9. Click on !tar ?ui= 9part A: and answer the two questions.
:) 3ow write down the answer to this )uestion: ;s the outer shell of the star e0"ands! the surface
tem"erature of the star decreases #e(en though the core is getting hotter). +hy does the surface
tem"erature decrease$
9. Eventuall" all stars will run out of fuel' and GRAB/+6 will win the battle against gas pressure
causing the star to collapse in some wa". Click on the 6ellow Right Arrow to go to C+he End of a !tarD
page. ?uickl" read the page' then click on the /nteractive ab at the ver" bottom of the page that shows
what happens to different si=e stars at the end of their life c"cles.
11) ;fter watching the life cycles for the low! medium and massi(e si6e stars! what was the life
s"an of each and final outcome of each$
Low mass star _____ billion years final outcome is the _____________________
Medium mass
Massive star
9I. Now click on the in the /nteractive ab more near the top of the page. .la" through all E steps b"
hitting the pla" button. Do N7+ click CCheck AnswersD8it will onl" waste "our time.
1%) /0"lain how a su"erno(a #in ste" .) can e0"lain the formation of elements hea(ier than iron
#such as 6inc! sil(er! and lead).
9II. Click on the 6ellow Right Arrow or go back and click on +he <ert=sprung3Russel 9<3R:
Diagram /ntroduction section onl". Read this entire page. 6ou ma" go to the other sections if "ou have
time. An <3R diagram shows a wide arra" of stars plotted on a graph showing absolute magnitude 9or
luminosit": versus surface temperature 9not core temperature:. Notice most of the stars are in the main
sequence' "et some are in white dwarf' super red giant or other stages.
1') +hich named star shown on the <=> diagrams is a white dwarf and which is a su"er giant$
+hy are they gi(en these names$
1*) Define luminosity.
9III. Click on the <ert=srpung3Russel Diagram within the /nteractive ab section.
1.);fter doing this lab! tell the relati(e tem"erature and brightness #luminosity) for each of the .
stars ;)?etelgeuse! ?);l"ha Centauri ?! C)@ur Sun! D)-ega! and /)Sirius ?.
Temp. medium temp.
Brightness medium bright
112. +hat is the relationshi" between the brightness of a star and the relati(e si6e of a star$
/0"lain why. (The bigger the star is the ________ it is because ____________________ )

Typical Sequence of Nuclear Fusion Reactions in a star
@. Nuclear fusion 9of <"drogen to form <elium.: 8;I3 S/1/3C/ ST;>T/D
where gas pressure from heat of nuclear fusion increases to equal constant gravit" 9equilibrium is
achieved:
A. 7ut of element fuel 9first <:
F. 5usion stops' temperature drops and gas pressure decreases' no longer in equilibrium.
>. Core contracts 9gravit" )/N! b" pulling atoms in:.
E. /ncreased temperature 9more atoms' more collisions: and gas pressure in the core reinitiates
nuclear fusion' equilibrium is achieved' and the c"cle begins again at step @ with bigger star.
1. AGAIN yet this time !elium is the fuel of the burning "Nuclear fusion of !elium to form elements
u# to $arbon% R! "#$NT ST$" until out of fuel less #ressure core contracts
increasing collisions and tem#erature to reach e&uilibrium again
1. 'hen AGAIN yet this last time $arbon is fuel "Nuclear fusion of $arbon to form heavier elements
u# to Iron (e% S#"N$%#N" !$T& of the )'A* is soon to come+N, (-.L means final
colla#se blac/ dwarf ,* S'(RN)*$ e0#losion which creates all other elements heavier
than iron in the heat of the e0#losion
Star Life Cycle Web Quiz
Directions: +his is to test "our knowledge of the web activit" "ou %ust
completed. 6ou ma" use "our notes for this qui=. Good uckG
8atching Section: )rite the letter of the term that best matches the phrase for each question.
A% blac/ hole B% red giant $% su#ernova 1% white dwarf .% brown dwarf (% #rotostar G% blac/ dwarf
@. **** the final stage of most small to medium si=ed stars 9like our sun:
A. **** an intermediate phase of medium si=ed stars when carbon is the product of nuclear fusion
F. **** a stage reached onl" if the protostar never begins the fusion process
>. **** a brilliant e;plosion leading into the formation of a neutron star or black hole
E. **** the final stage of the most massive stars 9over F times the mass of the sun:
H. **** a cloud of dust and gas beginning to condense on itself because of gravit"
Aill in the Chart: /n order for a star to continue to e;ist as a ball of radiant energ" it must have equilibrium between two
strong forces. 5ill in the chart below in each of the F columns.
)hat is each force( Contraction or E;pansion 5orce( )hat causes increase in this force(
I.
J.

K. )hat happens initiall" to the core temperature AND the gas pressure of a star when it runs out of h"drogen fuel
for its fusion reactions( Circle the best answer choice for each. +he core temperature
9increases2decreases% and the gas pressure "increases2decreases%.
@L. 7n the <ert=sprung3Russel Diagram that "ou studied' which star is in a white dwarf stage(
**********************
/0tra Credit: According to the relative descriptions on the online <ert=sprung3Russel Diagram' which star could best be
described as ver" cool 9FLLL Melvin: and reall" bright 9@L
>
luminosit":. *********************************
Star Life Cycle Web Quiz
Directions: +his is to test "our knowledge of the web activit" "ou %ust
completed. 6ou ma" use "our notes for this qui=. Good uckG
8atching Section: )rite the letter of the term that best matches the phrase for each question.
A% blac/ hole B% red giant $% su#ernova 1% white dwarf .% brown dwarf (% #rotostar G% blac/ dwarf
I. **** the final stage of most small to medium si=ed stars 9like our sun:
J. **** an intermediate phase of medium si=ed stars when carbon is the product of nuclear fusion
K. **** a stage reached onl" if the protostar never begins the fusion process
@L. **** a brilliant e;plosion leading into the formation of a neutron star or black hole
@@. **** the final stage of the most massive stars 9over F times the mass of the sun:
@A. **** a cloud of dust and gas beginning to condense on itself because of gravit"
Aill in the Chart: /n order for a star to continue to e;ist as a ball of radiant energ" it must have equilibrium between two
strong forces. 5ill in the chart below in each of the F columns.
)hat is each force( Contraction or E;pansion 5orce( )hat causes increase in this force(
I.
J.

@@. )hat happens initiall" to the core temperature AND the gas pressure of a star when it runs out of h"drogen fuel
for its fusion reactions( Circle the best answer choice for each. +he core temperature
9increases2decreases% and the gas pressure "increases2decreases%.
@A. 7n the <ert=sprung3Russel Diagram that "ou studied' which star is in a white dwarf stage(
**********************
/0tra Credit: According to the relative descriptions on the online <ert=sprung3Russel Diagram' which star could best be
described as ver" cool 9FLLL Melvin: and reall" bright 9@L
>
luminosit":. *********************************