Life Cycle of Stars (Edexcel GCSE Physics): Flashcards
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Practise the cards
14 cards from this deck
Nebula
Nebula
Cloud of dust & gas where stars begin, mainly hydrogen
Main element in nebula
Main element in nebula
Hydrogen
Protostar
Protostar
Forms when gravity pulls gas & dust together
Nuclear fusion in stars
Nuclear fusion in stars
H nuclei fuse into He, releasing energy
Main sequence
Main sequence
Stable phase where thermal expansion balances gravity
Main sequence duration
Main sequence duration
Billions of years
Sun's main sequence duration
Sun's main sequence duration
~7 billion years
Massive stars' lifespan vs smaller stars
Massive stars' lifespan vs smaller stars
Shorter due to higher fusion rates
Planetary nebula
Planetary nebula
Outer layers ejected from small-medium stars
White dwarf
White dwarf
Hot, dense core left after planetary nebula stage
Supernova
Supernova
Massive explosion at end of massive star's life
Neutron star
Neutron star
Dense core mostly of neutrons, forms after supernova
Black hole
Black hole
So dense not even light can escape
Force balancing gravity in main sequence
Force balancing gravity in main sequence
Thermal expansion from fusion