Chapter 12-Stellar Evolution: Multiple Choice
Chapter 12-Stellar Evolution: Multiple Choice
Multiple Choice Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. ____ 1. The main sequence has a limit at the lower end because a. low mass stars form from the interstellar medium very rarely. b. hydrogen fusion combined 4 hydrogen nuclei to form 1 helium nucleus. c. pressure does not depend on temperature in degenerate matter. d. the lower limit represents when the radius of the star would be zero. e. there is a minimum temperature for hydrogen fusion. 2. There is a mass-luminosity relation because a. hydrogen fusion produces helium. b. stars e pand when they become giants. c. stars support their weight by ma!ing energy. d. the helium flash occurs in degenerate matter. e. all stars on the main sequence have about the same radius. ". #s a star li!e the sun e hausts hydrogen in its core$ the outer layers of the star a. become hotter and more luminous. b. become cooler and more luminous. c. become hotter and less luminous. d. become cooler and less luminous. e. become larger in radius and hotter. 4. %elium fusion is called the triple alpha process because a. the helium nucleus is !nown as an alpha particle. b. it occurs very rapidly. c. it requires a temperature three times greater than that of hydrogen fusion. d. it is the third source of the primary fusion processes. e. each reaction produces three carbon nuclei. &. # star will e perience a helium flash if a. it is more massive than about ' solar masses. b. its core contains o ygen and helium. c. its mass on the main sequence was less than (.1 solar masses. d. it is a supergiant. e. its core is degenerate when helium ignites. '. )n degenerate matter a. pressure depends only on the temperature. b. temperature depends only on density. c. pressure does not depend on temperature. d. pressure does not depend on density. e. b and c *. +iant and supergiant stars are rare because a. they do not form as often as main sequence stars. b. the giant and supergiant stage is unstable. c. the giant and supergiant stage is very short. d. helium is very rare. e. helium flash destroys many of the stars before they can become giants and supergiants.
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,. -ariables of a certain type are called .epheid variable because a. the first one discovered was in the constellation of .epheus. b. they were discovered by #nna /arie .epheid and her brother 0aul. c. they all lie in the .epheus star cluster. d. they can be used to determine the distance to .epheid star clusters. e. they can be used to determine the distance to all of the stars in the .epheid gala y. ____ 1. 2hen the .epheid variable 03 .amelopardalis stopped pulsating$ astronomers speculated that it was a. e hausting its helium. b. e hausting its hydrogen. c. turning off its triple alpha process. d. evolving out of the instability strip. e. becoming a red supergiant. ____ 1(. # young star cluster will have _______________ than an older star cluster. a. a redder turn-off point b. a bluer turn-off point c. fewer stars d. fewer luminous stars e. more low mass stars ____ 11. 2hat is the appro imate age of the star cluster in the diagram below4
a. 2 million years b. 2 billion years c. 1( billion years d. 1(( billion years e. The age of the cluster can not be estimated from an %0 diagram of the cluster. ____ 12. 5pen clusters tend to be _______________ than globular clusters. a. younger and contain fewer stars b. younger and contain more stars c. older and contain fewer stars. d. older and contain more stars. e. more luminous and cooler ____ 1". 6tar cluster are important to our study of stars because a. all stars formed in star clusters. b. the sun was once a member of a globular cluster. c. they give us a method to test the our theories and models of stellar evolution. d. they are the only ob7ects that contain .epheid variables. e. all of the above
____ 14. The triple alpha process a. controls the pulsations in .epheid variable stars. b. is the nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium in massive stars. c. is the process that produces the neutrinos we receive from the sun. d. requires a temperature of about &$((($((( 8 to operate e. occurs during helium flash. ____ 1&. # star in the instability strip pulsates because a. the energy produced by the core is not constant. b. the energy produced by the hydrogen burning shell is not constant. c. the core of the star is composed of helium and degenerate electrons. d. the surface temperature of the star is increasing. e. density and opacity of the helium ionization zone changes with time. ____ 1'. The lowest mass ob7ect that can initiate thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen has a mass of about a. 1 / . b. '( / . c. (.& / . d. (.(, / . e. (.((1 / . ____ 1*. 2hich of the following nuclear fuels does a one solar mass star use over the course of its entire evolution4 a. hydrogen b. hydrogen and helium c. hydrogen$ helium and carbon d. hydrogen$ helium$ carbon$ and neon e. hydrogen$ helium$ carbon$ neon$ and o ygen. ____ 1,. 2hich of the following nuclear fuels does a (.2 solar mass star use over the course of its entire evolution4 a. hydrogen b. hydrogen and helium c. hydrogen$ helium and carbon d. hydrogen$ helium$ carbon$ and neon e. hydrogen$ helium$ carbon$ neon$ and o ygen. ____ 11. %elium flash occurs a. because helium is very e plosive and cannot be controlled when the nuclear reactions occur. b. because degenerate electrons in the core do not allow the core to e pand as it heats up. c. in .epheid variables. d. in stars with masses less than (.4 / . e. none of the above ____ 2(. # .epheid variable with a mass of 1( / _______________ than a .epheid of " / . a. is less luminous b. has a greater surface temperature c. has a smaller radius d. has a longer period e. a and c ____ 21. 00 9yrae variables a. are less luminous than .epheid variables. b. have longer periods than .epheid variables. c. do not have a period-luminosity relationship. d. are eclipsing variables.
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e. a and b The changing period of a .epheid variable tells us that the a. star:s luminosity is increasing. b. surface temperature of the star is increasing. c. hydrogen burning core has quit burning its nuclear fuel. d. star is evolving. e. star is about to undergo helium flash. )t is assumed that stars in a star cluster a. all have the same age. b. all have the same chemical composition. c. all have the same luminosity. d. all of the above e. a and b above )f the stars at the turnoff point of a cluster have a mass of " / $ what is the age of the cluster4 a. ".( 1(1( years b. "." 1(1 years c. '.4 1(, years d. 1.' 1(11 years e. The age of a star cluster can not be determined from the mass of stars at the turnoff point. )n the diagram below$ which point indicates the location on the %0 diagram of a one solar mass star when it undergoes helium flash4
a. 1 b. 2 c. " d. 4 e. & ____ 2'. 2hat is the lifetime of a 1( / star on the main sequence4 a. ".2 1(* years b. "2( years c. ".2 1(12 years d. 1 1(1 years e. 1 1(11 years True/F l!e
Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true or false. ____ 2*. 6tars support their weight by generating energy in their centers. ____ 2,. 6tars swell into giants when hydrogen is e hausted in their centers. ____ 21. The helium flash is the cause of some supernovae. ____ "(. %elium fusion does not begin until the star has entered the giant region of the %-0 diagram. ____ "1. ;ven in degenerate matter$ pressure depends on temperature. ____ "2. +iant and supergiant stars are rare because that stage is short. ____ "". 5f the stars in the instability strip$ the more massive stars have longer periods and lower luminosities. ____ "4. .epheid variables can be used to determine distances because their absolute magnitude can be determined from their period. ____ "&. <oung star clusters have bluer turn-off points than old clusters. ____ "'. ;ven the youngest star clusters have no stars still contracting toward the main sequence.
TRUE/FALSE 2*. 2,. 21. "(. "1. "2. "". "4. "&. "'. #=6> #=6> #=6> #=6> #=6> #=6> #=6> #=6> #=6> #=6> T T A T A T A T T A