IGCSEPhysics: Double ScienceEdexcelTopic Questions8. Astrophysics8.2 Stellar Evolution

Stellar Evolution (Edexcel IGCSE Physics: Double Science)

Topic Questions

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1a3 marks
(a)
The sentence gives information about the life cycle of a star. 
 
Add words from the box in the gaps to make a sentence that is correct. 
 
electron             supernova             giant             dwarf             momentum

 

A very dense .................................. star is left behind when a large red .................................. star blows up in an explosion called a ..................................

(3)

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1b1 mark
(b)
Which of the following statements is a property used to classify stars?
(1)

  • Radius

  • Distance from the Earth

  • The times when it is visible to observers on Earth

  • Colour

Choose your answer

1c3 marks
(c)
Draw lines between the colour and the temperature to show the correct colour and temperature of the stars. 
 
star-temp-colour-match-sq-edexcel-igcse
(3)

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2a2 marks

This paragraph is from a website. 

A star forms when enough dust and gas are pulled together. Masses smaller than a star may also be formed when dust and gas are pulled together.

 

(a)
(i)
State the name of the force that pulls the dust and gas together.
 (1)
 
(ii)
State the name of the mass smaller than a star that may form when the gas and dust are pulled together.
(1)

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2b3 marks
(b)
The diagram shows part of the life cycle of a star with a similar mass to the Sun.
 
 
black dwarf          nebula          fusion          white dwarf          main sequence star

Use words from the box to label the stages in the life cycle. 

8-2-2b-e-life-cycle-solar-mass-stars-label-sq-edexcel-igcse

 
(3)

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3a3 marks
(a)
Describe how stars are formed.
(3)

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3b3 marks
(b)
Add words from the box in the gaps to make the sentences correct. 
 
decay          balanced          fission          resultant forces          fusion          forces

(i)
Nuclear ...................................... releases energy inside stars. 
(1)
 
(ii)
A star is stable during the 'main sequence' period in its life because the ...................................... within it are ...................................... .
(2)

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3c4 marks

The life cycle of a star after the 'main sequence' period depends on the size of the star.  A particular star is much larger in size than the Sun. 

(c)
Complete the stages of the life cycle of this star.
 
8-2-4c-e-life-cycle-larger-stars-box-fill-sq-edexcel-igcse
(4)

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1a8 marks

The table shows the 5 stages of the life cycle of a star that has a similar mass to the Sun. 

Stage 1 Initially, there is a massive cloud of dust and gas in space.
Stage 2  
Stage 3 Hydrogen nuclei join together to make helium nuclei
Stage 4  
Stage 5 The star eventually becomes unstable. An outer layer of dust and gas is ejected leaving behind a core. The core collapses due to gravity.

 

(a)
(i)
State and explain what happens in stage 2 of the diagram.
 
Include specific references to the relationships between
  • the masses of the bodies involved and the forces acting between them
  • the separation of the bodies involved and the forces acting between them
(4)
 
(ii)
State and explain what happens in stage 4 of the diagram.
(4)

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1b1 mark
(b)
The timescale of stage 3 is in the order of
(1)

  • 105 to 106 years

  • 106 to 107 years

  • 109 to 1011 years

  • 1012 to 1015 years

Choose your answer

1c2 marks
(c)
Explain why the star remains stable during stage 3 for the length of time you selected in part (b).
(2)

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1d5 marks
(d)
For stars with much larger masses than our Sun, stages 1 to 3 are almost exactly the same as lower mass stars. For the later stages, 4 and 5, the processes begin to differ.
 
Compare and contrast the final two stages in stars with much larger masses than our Sun and stars with similar masses to our Sun.
(5)

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2a4 marks

The table contains information on the mass of different stars.

Star Name Star Mass / kg
Earth's Sun 1.989 × 1030
Proxima Centauri 2.446 × 1029
VY Canis Majoris 3.381 × 1031

 

(a)
(i)
Compare the masses of Proxima Centauri and VY Canis Majoris to the Sun.
(1)
 
(ii)
Explain how these differences will affect the time these stars can remain stable.

(3)

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2b5 marks
(b)
Describe what will happen to each of the stars after they leave the main sequence stage.

(5)

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1a1 mark

The diagram shows some incomplete notes about a stellar process. An astronomer left the notes to a colleague for them to decipher. 

8-2-1a-m-life-cycle-solar-mass-med-sq-igcse

(a)
Identify the process described in the diagram.
(1)

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1b1 mark

The colleague wants to include some extra detail in stage 3.

(b)
Which of the following correctly describes the physical process outlined in stage 3 and the 'smaller nuclei' and 'bigger nuclei' that are mentioned?
(1)
 
  physical process smaller nucleus larger nucleus
A nuclear fission hydrogen  helium
B nuclear fusion  helium hydrogen
C nuclear fission helium hydrogen
D nuclear fusion hydrogen helium

Choose your answer

1c1 mark
(c)
The longest stage in this process is
(1)

  • stage 2

  • stage 3

  • stage 4

  • stage 5

Choose your answer

1d4 marks
(d)
(i)
State the name given to the star in stage 4.
(1)
 
(ii)
Explain what happens in stage 4.
(3)

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2a4 marks

The colour of visible light a star emits tells us how hot or cold it is.

(a)
The table contains the colour classifications of the visible light emitted from stars. 
 
Place a number from 1 − 7 in each box to put them in order from hottest (1) to coldest (7).
 
 
Colour Number
Yellow - White  
Blue  
Red  
Yellow  
Yellow - Orange  
White  
Blue - White  

(4)

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2b5 marks
(b)
(i)
Identify and explain the coolest stage of a star's life cycle.
(2)
 
(ii)
Identify and explain the final stage and colour in the life cycle of a star similar in size to the Sun.
(3)

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2c2 marks
(c)
Explain how stars like the Sun are formed.
(2)

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3a2 marks

Most of the stars in the universe are main sequence stars, including the sun. 

(a)
Describe the similarities between main sequence stars.
(2)

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3b2 marks
(b)
The table gives some statements about the relationship between a star's colour and its surface temperature. 
 
Add ticks (✔) to the table to show which two statements are correct.
 
Statement Correct (✔)
red stars have a relatively high temperature  
blue stars have a relatively high temperature   
yellow stars have a relatively low temperature  
blue-white stars have a relatively low temperature  

(2)

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3c4 marks
The table shows the colour and surface temperature of several known stars.

 

Colour Surface Temperature (K) Example
red < 3500 Betelgeuse
orange 3500 - 5000 Aldebaran
yellow 5000 - 6000 Sun
yellow-white 6000 - 7500 Canopus
white 7500 - 10 000 Vega
blue-white 10 000 - 25 000 Rigel
blue > 25 000 10 Lacertae

 

(c)
(i)
Identify a star with a temperature of 7000 K.
(1)
(ii)
Identify a star with a temperature of 2000 K.
(1)
 
(ii)
State and explain which of the stars you identified is likely to be the largest.
(2)

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