From Nebula to Neutron Star: Life Cycle of a Star Quiz

  • 12th Grade
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| Questions: 20 | Updated: Feb 20, 2026
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1. Which condition must be met for a molecular cloud to begin gravitational collapse into a protostar?

Explanation

If the Jeans mass represents the critical mass where internal gas pressure can no longer balance the inward pull of gravity, and if a cloud exceeds this mass, then the cloud will become unstable and begin to collapse.

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About This Quiz
From Nebula To Neutron Star: Life Cycle Of A Star Quiz - Quiz

From clouds of dust to explosive ends. Stars are born, live for billions of years, and eventually run out of fuel, changing their energy output along the way. This life cycle of a star quiz follows the journey from protostar to supernova.

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2. According to Wien’s Law, a star that appears blue has a higher surface temperature than a star that appears red.

Explanation

If Wien's Law states that the peak wavelength of radiation is inversely proportional to temperature, and if blue light has a shorter wavelength than red light, then a blue star must possess a higher surface temperature.

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3. The _________ Law states that the total energy radiated per unit surface area of a star is proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature.

Explanation

If the energy output of a blackbody is mathematically related to T raised to the power of 4, then that relationship is defined by the Stefan-Boltzmann Law.

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4. What process allows a Red Giant to fuse Helium into Carbon?

Explanation

If a star has exhausted hydrogen in its core and reached temperatures of 100 million Kelvin, and if three helium nuclei (alpha particles) collide to form carbon, then this is the Triple-Alpha process.

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5. Which factors determine the total duration of a star's Main Sequence lifetime?

Explanation

If the lifetime of a star is the total amount of fuel divided by the rate it is burned, and if mass determines the fuel supply and luminosity determines the burn rate, then mass and fuel consumption rate are the primary factors.

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6. In a White Dwarf, the pressure preventing gravitational collapse is provided by nuclear fusion.

Explanation

If a White Dwarf has ceased nuclear fusion, and if it is supported against gravity by the Pauli Exclusion Principle applied to electrons, then the supporting force is electron degeneracy pressure, not fusion.

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7. In a star twice as massive as the Sun, how is energy primarily transported through the inner core?

Explanation

If a star is more massive than 1.5 solar masses, the core temperature is very high and the CNO cycle is dominant; if the energy production rate is extremely high, then the temperature gradient is steep enough to trigger convection in the core.

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8. The maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star, beyond which it will collapse, is known as the _________ limit.

Explanation

If a white dwarf exceeds approximately 1.44 solar masses, then electron degeneracy pressure can no longer support its weight, and this specific threshold is the Chandrasekhar limit.

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9. Why do photons take thousands of years to travel from the Sun's core to its surface?

Explanation

If the Sun's interior is extremely dense with ions and electrons, and if photons constantly collide with these particles and change direction, then the path to the surface becomes a long "random walk" rather than a straight line.

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10. Which of the following occur during the core collapse of a massive star leading to a Type II Supernova?

Explanation

If the core collapses rapidly, the energy is high enough to break nuclei apart (photodisintegration) and force electrons into protons (neutronization), which releases neutrinos and stops only when the core reaches nuclear density.

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11. The s-process of nucleosynthesis occurs primarily during the explosive shockwave of a supernova.

Explanation

If the s-process (slow neutron capture) requires a low flux of neutrons over a long period, then it occurs during the AGB phase of a star's life; if the r-process (rapid) requires a high flux, it occurs during a supernova.

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12. A _________ star is the extremely dense remnant of a supernova core, supported by neutron degeneracy pressure.

Explanation

If a core remnant has a mass between 1.4 and 3 solar masses, and if gravity is balanced by the pressure of degenerate neutrons, then the resulting object is a neutron star.

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13. On an H-R Diagram, what path does a Sun-like star take after leaving the Main Sequence?

Explanation

If a star leaves the Main Sequence due to hydrogen exhaustion, its radius increases and its surface temperature drops; if the radius increases, luminosity increases, which shifts the star toward the upper right of the diagram.

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14. What are the characteristics of an object emitting "Blackbody Radiation"?

Explanation

If an object is a perfect absorber (blackbody), then its emission spectrum depends only on temperature and follows a continuous Planck curve, regardless of its specific chemical makeup.

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15. A star with a very high luminosity can push away its outer layers through radiation pressure.

Explanation

If radiation pressure exerts an outward force that depends on luminosity, and if this force exceeds the inward pull of gravity, then the star has reached the Eddington Limit and will shed its outer mass.

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16. The process by which a star’s core collapses and the outer layers are ejected to form a glowing shell of gas is called a _________ nebula.

Explanation

If a low-to-intermediate mass star reaches the end of its life and sheds its envelope, leaving a hot core that ionizes the ejected gas, then that structure is a planetary nebula.

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17. Why is Iron-56 the "end of the road" for stellar nucleosynthesis in massive stars?

Explanation

If iron-56 has the highest binding energy per nucleon, then fusing it into heavier elements requires an input of energy rather than releasing it; if no energy is released, the star cannot create outward pressure to stop collapse.

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18. Which of the following are remnants left behind after the death of stars of various masses?

Explanation

If a star dies, it leaves a remnant based on its remaining mass; if that mass is low, it becomes a White Dwarf; if higher, a Neutron Star; and if extremely high, a Black Hole.

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19. Massive stars use the CNO cycle because their higher core temperatures allow protons to overcome the electrical repulsion of Carbon nuclei.

Explanation

If the CNO cycle requires Carbon as a catalyst, and if Carbon has six protons (higher repulsion than Hydrogen), then much higher kinetic energy (temperature) is required to facilitate these collisions than in the p-p chain.

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20. What happens to the luminosity of a star if its radius is halved and its temperature is doubled?

Explanation

If Luminosity is proportional to R²T⁴, and if R becomes 0.5 (0.5² = 0.25) and T becomes 2 (2⁴ = 16), then 0.25 multiplied by 16 equals 4.

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Which condition must be met for a molecular cloud to begin...
According to Wien’s Law, a star that appears blue has a higher...
The _________ Law states that the total energy radiated per unit...
What process allows a Red Giant to fuse Helium into Carbon?
Which factors determine the total duration of a star's Main Sequence...
In a White Dwarf, the pressure preventing gravitational collapse is...
In a star twice as massive as the Sun, how is energy primarily...
The maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star, beyond which it will...
Why do photons take thousands of years to travel from the Sun's core...
Which of the following occur during the core collapse of a massive...
The s-process of nucleosynthesis occurs primarily during the explosive...
A _________ star is the extremely dense remnant of a supernova core,...
On an H-R Diagram, what path does a Sun-like star take after leaving...
What are the characteristics of an object emitting "Blackbody...
A star with a very high luminosity can push away its outer layers...
The process by which a star’s core collapses and the outer layers...
Why is Iron-56 the "end of the road" for stellar nucleosynthesis in...
Which of the following are remnants left behind after the death of...
Massive stars use the CNO cycle because their higher core temperatures...
What happens to the luminosity of a star if its radius is halved and...
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