Question

How does mass affect a star life cycle?

Answer 1

Hint: There are seven main stages in the life cycle and stars undergo a natural life cycle which includes birth, expansion and death. Some of the stars seen in the sky are dead. The life cycle of stars and the mass of stars are inversely proportional to each other.

Complete answer:
The life cycle of stars is dependent on its mass. Stars with large mass have a shorter life cycle. Amount of matter present in the nebula (which is a giant cloud of gas and dust) determines the mass of the star. Star with a smaller mass than the sun can fuse hydrogen into helium for trillions of years but a star with larger mass fuses hydrogen into helium more quickly and will run out of hydrogen. Hence stars with larger mass have a shorter life cycle. Also, a star with higher mass has more material but it burns faster reason being greater gravitational forces causing high core temperature.

Additional information:
Seven Stages of the star are :
1. Giant gas cloud: The origin of the star is a large gas cloud and this gas cloud has low temperature for molecule synthesis.
2. Protostar: Heat energy is produced when gas particles in the cloud run into each other leading to the formation of warm molecules known as protostar.
3. T-Tauri phase: Material stops falling into a protostar and a huge amount of energy is released.
4. Main sequence phase: Core temperature which was previously not enough to support nuclear fission in the Tauri phase now increases for fusion to occur. Hydrogen is converted into helium. This process leads to the release of a large amount of energy and the process is exothermic.
5. Red giant: Star now runs out of hydrogen and this leads to disruption of reactions in the core region which leads to inward contraction of the star and gravity leads to expansion of star.
6. The fusion of heavier elements: Fusion of helium occurs at the core and prevents the core from collapsing. Shrinkage occurs in the core and carbon fuse, iron appears and fuses at the core which absorbs energy and collapses. This leads to change in stars into a supernova.
7. Supernova and nebula: Material of star blasts away in space and core turns into a black hole. Stars with less mass do not blast and their core contract leading to the formation of the white dwarf.

Note:
There are 7 main stages of the life cycle of stars. Mass of stars determines radiance and death. Massive stars have more hydrogen but burn rapidly than the smaller mass. Hence massive stars have a shorter life cycle.