Stellar Evolution and Nuclear Fusion Quiz

What is the primary source of energy in a main-sequence star like our Sun?

• Gravitational potential energy

• Nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium

• Convection currents

• Solar winds

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

During which stage of a star's life does nuclear fusion of helium into heavier elements typically occur?

• Protostar

• Red giant

• White dwarf

• Main sequence

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

Which of the following elements is primarily formed through nuclear fusion in the core of massive stars?

• Iron

• Carbon

• Helium

• Oxygen

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

What happens to a star when it exhausts its nuclear fuel in the core?

• It becomes a neutron star

• It collapses into a black hole

• It expands into a red giant

• It sheds its outer layers and becomes a white dwarf

Which of the following stages of stellar evolution comes after the red giant phase for a Sun-like star?

• Main sequence

• Supernova explosion

• Planetary nebula

• Neutron star formation

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

In the core of a star, what temperature and pressure conditions are necessary for nuclear fusion to occur?

• Low temperature and high pressure

• High temperature and high pressure

• Low temperature and low pressure

• High temperature and low pressure

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

What role does the Chandrasekhar limit play in the evolution of massive stars?

• It marks the end of the main sequence phase.

• It determines the size of a star's habitable zone.

• It limits the mass of a white dwarf that can form.

• It triggers the formation of a black hole.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

Which type of nuclear fusion process is responsible for the energy production in the cores of stars like the Sun?

• Proton-proton chain

• Carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle

• Triple-alpha process

• Deuterium fusion

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

What is the ultimate fate of a star with a mass similar to that of our Sun?

• It will become a white dwarf

• It will explode in a supernova

• It will collapse into a neutron star

• It will form a black hole

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-ESS1-3

What is the primary force that counteracts the gravitational force in a stable, main-sequence star?

• Electromagnetic force

• Strong nuclear force

• Weak nuclear force

• Gravitational force