Chapter 16: Space – Multiple Choice Questions

What is a protostar?

• A) A dying star

• B) A star that is part of a binary system

• C) A star in its earliest formation stage

• D) A planet orbiting a star

Which process releases energy in the core of a star?

• Gravitational collapse

• Nuclear fusion

• Chemical combustion

• Nuclear fission

What keeps a star stable during its main sequence stage?

• Magnetic fields

• Equilibrium between gravity and outward pressure from fusion

• Rapid rotation

• Expansion due to heat

What forms when a massive star explodes as a supernova?

• White dwarf or black dwarf

• Brown dwarf

• Neutron star or black hole

• Red giant

Which element is created during the main sequence of a star?

• Iron

• Carbon

• Helium

• Uranium

Stars form from clouds of gas and (a)   ?

• Water

• Ice

The Sun is currently a:

• Protostar

• Red dwarf

• Main sequence star

• White dwarf

What triggers the birth of a star in a nebula?

• Nuclear decay

• Gravity pulling matter together

• Tidal forces

• Comet impact

A white dwarf will eventually cool to become a:

• A) Black dwarf

• B) Red giant

• C) Neutron star

• D) Supernova

Main sequence stars like the Sun fuse hydrogen into:

• Oxygen

• Iron

• Helium

• Nitrogen