01
True or false
1 point
True or false: An object with too little mass to sustain hydrogen fusion becomes a brown dwarf rather than a main-sequence star.
Free Practice Quiz Question List
06 The Lives of Stars Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 06 The Lives of Stars, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
20 questions
02
Choose one
1 point
Before a protostar begins hydrogen fusion, what is its main energy source?
- A
Hydrogen fusion in its core
- B
Gravitational contraction
- C
Fusion of iron in its core
- D
Reflected light from nearby stars
03
Fill in the blank
1 point
Complete the statement: In a region of an interstellar cloud, contraction begins when overcomes the pressure supporting that region.
04
Choose one
1 point
Which event marks a protostar's transition onto the main sequence?
- A
When its outer layers first begin to expand
- B
When it has gathered all material from its surrounding cloud
- C
When its core becomes hot enough to sustain hydrogen fusion
- D
When it first begins to cool
05
Choose one
1 point
A high-mass star and a low-mass star are both on the main sequence. Which comparison is generally correct?
- A
High-mass main-sequence stars are generally hotter and more luminous than low-mass ones.
- B
Low-mass main-sequence stars are generally hotter and more luminous than high-mass ones.
- C
All main-sequence stars have the same surface temperature and luminosity.
- D
A star's mass has little influence on its position on the main-sequence band.
06
Written response
1 point
About how many billion years will the Sun spend on the main sequence? Give the approximate value.
07
Choose all
1 point
Select all statements that correctly compare high-mass and low-mass main-sequence stars.
- A
High-mass stars are generally hotter than low-mass stars.
- B
High-mass stars use their fuel more slowly and remain on the main sequence longer.
- C
High-mass stars are generally more luminous than low-mass stars.
- D
High-mass stars have longer main-sequence lifetimes because they contain more fuel.
08
Fill in the blank
1 point
Complete the pathway for a low- or intermediate-mass star: it sheds its outer layers into an expanding and leaves behind a .
09
Choose one
1 point
What is a planetary nebula in the evolution of a low- or intermediate-mass star?
- A
A disk of planets orbiting a white dwarf
- B
An expanding cloud of gas shed by a dying star
- C
A region where new planets fuse hydrogen
- D
A compact remnant made mostly of iron
10
True or false
1 point
True or false: In a massive star, fusion of iron provides energy that supports the core against collapse.
- A
True
- B
False
11
Choose all
1 point
Select all statements supported about the late evolution of a massive star.
- A
Collapse of an iron-rich core can trigger a core-collapse supernova.
- B
Iron fusion supplies the energy needed to prevent the core from collapsing.
- C
A core-collapse supernova can eject much of the star's outer material.
- D
The remaining core can become a neutron star or, if massive enough, a black hole.
12
Written response
1 point
What stellar property chiefly determines how a star evolves after leaving the main sequence?
13
Open ended
1 point
Explain how the deaths of stars can contribute to the formation of later stars and planetary systems.
14
Written response
1 point
Which two stellar properties are plotted against each other on a Hertzsprung–Russell diagram?
15
Choose one
1 point
A contracting stellar core is still heating but has not begun hydrogen fusion. What is its main energy source at this stage?
- A
Hydrogen fusion in its core
- B
Gravitational contraction
- C
Fusion of iron in its core
- D
The cooling of a white dwarf
16
Written response
1 point
What is the expanding cloud of gas called when a low- or intermediate-mass star sheds its outer layers?
17
Choose one
1 point
A star is in a long, stable main-sequence stage. Which pair of effects is in balance?
- A
Outward pressure from gravitational contraction balances inward fusion pressure
- B
The outward pull of gravity balances the inward pressure of fusion
- C
Outward pressure from fusion balances gravity’s inward pull
- D
The star’s outer layers balance the core’s inward pull
18
Choose one
1 point
Two stars begin their lives with different masses. Which is generally expected to have the shorter main-sequence lifetime, and why?
- A
The lower-mass star, because it has less fuel to begin with
- B
The higher-mass star, because it uses its fuel much faster
- C
They leave the main sequence at the same time because both fuse hydrogen
- D
The higher-mass star, because it uses its fuel more slowly
19
Choose one
1 point
Which description best matches the element-building ability of a low- or intermediate-mass star after it leaves the main sequence?
- A
They can fuse helium into carbon and oxygen but generally cannot fuse those products into much heavier elements
- B
They fuse iron into heavier elements and become black holes
- C
They cannot fuse helium, so they immediately become neutron stars
- D
They fuse hydrogen directly into iron throughout their lives
20
True or false
1 point
True or false: The boundary between the low- and intermediate-mass pathway and the massive-star pathway is an exact, universal cutoff at eight solar masses.
- A
True
- B
False