Life Cycle of Stars

Objectives
Describe the complete life cycle of a
star.
Explain how stars are formed.
Describe the processes involved in the
eventual end of a star.

We’re going on a ‘star-fari’

Make sure you understand each

step, take down key notes (purple
boxes) and ask questions if you
don’t get it.

You must be able to describe

processes in your own words, and
remember each stage in order!
 NEBULA: giant cloud of gas – mostly
hydrogen

Hydrogen is the most simplistic atom that

exists – made of 1 proton and 1 electron

This is the 'Orion Nebula'. It would take light 1,344 years to get to it, 24
years to get across it and it contains 2000 times the mass of our sun.
Remember that light travels 300,000,000 metres in a single second.
THAT’S BIG!
 This one is called the 'Horse
Head Nebula'.

In the nebula, gravity pulls hydrogen gas gradually closer together

As hydrogen gas moves closer together, particles rub together. Friction

causes the nebula to get very hot
The spherical nebula eventually gets hot enough (through friction) to start
glowing – it becomes a PROTOSTAR

This isn’t a ‘proper’ fully functioning star yet. Nuclear fusion hasn’t
happened yet!
 The hydrogen atoms are being forced together under:
• incredibly high pressure (gravity) and
• incredibly high temperature (friction) – this causes NUCLEAR FUSION

MAIN SEQUENCE STAR: A fully formed star (like our Sun), where nuclear
fusion is taking place, and hydrogen nuclei are forced together to form
helium

• Hydrogen nuclei (protons) = positive. They

repel.

• High temperature and pressure FORCE

protons together

• HYDROGEN  HELIUM – this is NUCLEAR

FUSION

MASSIVE ENERGY IS RELEASED AS LIGHT AND HEAT!

There are two main forces acting in a main sequence star – you HAVE TO
KNOW THESE

1. The force of gravity acts inwards

2. The pressure of nuclear fusion acts outwards

Both forces are equal and balanced – this is why the main sequence star is
stable
 Quick Snapshot – what do we know so far?

What’s it made of? Huge cloud of hydrogen gas.

How does it form? Nebula
Pulls together due to gravity.

What happens in this Friction makes gas hot,

stage? protostar starts glowing Protostar
What hasn’t happened Nuclear fusion
yet?

What is happening in Nuclear fusion;

this stage? hydrogen  helium Main Sequence
Why is this a stable Forces (gravity and fusion
sequence? pressure) are balanced
 The life span of a star in its main sequence depends
on its mass and therefore its size.

The larger the star, the:

a) HOTTER it is, as more gravity = more nuclear fusion
b) SHORTER its lifespan – they get through their fuel more quickly
Stars that are 2 times larger than our sun
Stars around the same and above last only millions of years
mass as our sun last - They are normally blue or white, as
around 1-10 billion years they’re so hot

You might be given a data table of different sizes and lifespans of stars, and
be asked to either DESCRIBE the pattern (really easy) or SUGGEST WHY
there are differences (see purple box above)
 Main Sequence
Small mass star (incl. our
sun) Large mass star

Red Giant Super Red Giant

 Red Giant (for stars the
size of our Sun or smaller)

RED GIANT:
• The star runs out of hydrogen fuel.
• The outer layers collapse due to gravity, and these are used by fusion.
• The star EXPANDS and COOLS

Star swells to 100s

of times its original
size

Cools to become red

 Super Red Giant
(stars much larger
than our Sun)

In very large stars, there’s enough

Gravity for fusion of hydrogen,
through all elements up to iron!

The star swells to a MUCH LARGER

size to form a red super giant

Exam tip: never confused red giants with red super giants
Red giants: happens in medium stars (like our Sun)

Red super giants: happens in very large stars

 Whistle-stop tour
(more detail to follow)

Red Star expands and Red

cools. Still fusing!
Giant Super
giant

White Tiny, really hot,

Dwarf glowing – but no
Fusion! SUPER
NOVA

Fusion stops, star COLLAPSES

then EXPLODES OUTWARDS
Black Can’t see it???
dwarf
Neutron Black
star OR hole
As MJ said, It Don’t Matter If You’re Black Or White (Dwarfs)

White Brown Dwarf Black Dwarf

Dwarf Cooling core. Cold, solid
White, core.
hot
core.

In all of these, NO NUCLEAR FUSION is happening.

You know how metal glows if you heat it? This is

basically the same thing – it glows less as it cools
 Quick Snapshot – what do we know so far?
Red Giant Super Red Giant

White Dwarf Supernova

Black Hole Neutron Star

Black Dwarf

What happens to create a red giant?
Nuclear fusion stops (temporarily) – star
expands, cools and turns red
What is the difference between a white and
black dwarf?
White dwarfs are hot, glow. Black dwarfs
are cold, do not glow
What is the difference between a red giant
and red super giant?
Stars the size of our sun form red giants,
stars much bigger form red super giants
How is a supernova forms, and what
happens inside it?
Fusion stops, star collapses, explodes
outwards. Elements heavier than iron are
formed by fusion
Compare black dwarves and neutron stars
Similarities:
Both are very dense (black holes more so)
Differences:
Light cannot escape a black hole
Neutron stars release X-rays
 Supernova
Super
Supernova: Fusion stops, star very
Red
quickly collapses. Huge amount of fusion
Giant
starts again quickly, and elements
heavier than iron are formed
 Supernova continued:

A massive explosion
‘kicks out’ dust into space

Interestingly, this dust and gas that is created can be remade into ‘new
generation’ stars and planets.

Our Sun is a third generation star – formed from the remains of 2 other
stars before it!
 Neutron Star

The remains of the star after a

supernova has a HUGE amount
of mass.

Gravity is very strong, and pulls

atoms together. Electrons
combine with protons to form
neutrons

Neutron stars are only 10-20km across

They are very dense – a teaspoon of its material would
weigh 20,000,000,000,000 kg (20 billion tonnes)
 Radio waves
Neutron
and X-rays
star at
being emitted
centre.
from the
neutron star.

Exam note: A single mark question has been asked in

the past about what it emitted from neutron stars and
black holes.

The answer is: Radio waves and X-rays.

Black
Holes

Here is a picture of a black hole.

Only Joking!
Black
Holes

Black hole: very large stars form black holes. They have such large
gravitational fields that even light cannot escape (that’s why they
are ‘black holes’)

Black holes are infinitely dense

 Fusion occurs The fusion at the
in the core up Super Red Giant core slows down so
to iron. shells fuse causing
the star to expand.

The fuel for Elements heavier

fusion runs out, than iron are
the star Supernova formed in the
collapses and explosion and
explodes thrown into space.
outward.

Black Hole Neutron Star

Collapsed core of a large star.
Very dense with a very strong
gravitational pull.
Radio waves and x-rays are
emitted from them.
Core of a large star that is now made
from neutrons.
Protons and electrons come together
to form neutrons.
Strong gravitational pull. Radio
waves and x-rays emitted.
 Nebula

Protostar

Main Sequence

Small mass star (incl. our sun) Large mass star

Red Giant Super Red Giant

White Dwarf Supernova

Black Dwarf Black Hole Neutron Star

KEY TASK
Make a summary sheet by: N
a) Labelling each stage
b) Writing summary bullet-
point info for each stage P
around the sides

M S

Small mass star (incl. our Large mass star

sun)
R G R S G

W D S

B D B H N S
 Exam questions can ask you to describe and
compare the processes of nuclear fusion, the
process responsible for star formation and
nuclear fission, the process of large unstable
nuclei/atoms breaking down into smaller atoms.