Question

use the information on the website to answer the following questions. 1. what does the lifetime of a star depend on? which stars use up their fuel quickly? which stars live the longest? 2. which path will our sun take in its lifetime? will it end up as a white dwarf or explode as a supernova? 3. click the red giant tab. how much mass does a star need to eventually become a supernova? 4. click the white dwarf tab. how much would a matchbox of white dwarf material weigh? how do white dwarfs produce heat and light if no nuclear reactions are present? 5. click the unclear word tab. how much mass does a star need to eventually become a black unclear word 6. click the black hole tab. why are they called “black holes?” what are some ways that black holes can be “seen?”

Explanation:

Step1: Recall stellar - lifetime factors

The lifetime of a star depends on its mass. Larger - mass stars have more fuel but burn it at a much faster rate. Smaller - mass stars burn fuel more slowly.

Step2: Identify fast - fuel - using and long - living stars

Massive stars use up their fuel quickly because they have high core temperatures and pressures, leading to rapid nuclear fusion. Low - mass stars, like red dwarfs, live the longest as they burn fuel very slowly.

Step3: Determine the Sun's fate

The Sun is a medium - mass star. It will first become a red giant. Eventually, it will shed its outer layers and end up as a white dwarf. It does not have enough mass to explode as a supernova (a star needs to be at least about 8 times the mass of the Sun to become a supernova).

Step4: Find the mass for supernova

A star needs to have a mass of at least about 8 times the mass of the Sun to eventually become a supernova.

Step5: Estimate white - dwarf material weight

A matchbox of white - dwarf material would weigh about 15 tons. White dwarfs produce heat and light from the residual heat left over from their previous nuclear - burning phase. As they cool over billions of years, they will eventually become black dwarfs (which have not yet formed in the universe as the cooling process is so long).

Step6: Determine black - hole formation mass

A star needs to have a mass of about 20 times the mass of the Sun or more to eventually become a black hole after a supernova explosion.

Step7: Explain black - hole name

They are called "black holes" because their gravitational pull is so strong that not even light can escape from them, making them appear black. They can be "seen" indirectly by observing the effects of their gravity on nearby matter, such as the motion of stars orbiting around them or the behavior of gas and dust being pulled in.

Answer:

1. The lifetime of a star depends on its mass. Massive stars use up their fuel quickly; low - mass stars live the longest.
2. The Sun will first become a red giant and eventually end up as a white dwarf. It will not explode as a supernova.
3. A star needs to have a mass of at least about 8 times the mass of the Sun to eventually become a supernova.
4. A matchbox of white - dwarf material would weigh about 15 tons. White dwarfs produce heat and light from residual heat.
5. A star needs to have a mass of about 20 times the mass of the Sun or more to eventually become a black hole.
6. They are called "black holes" because not even light can escape from them. They can be "seen" indirectly by observing the effects of their gravity on nearby matter.