Q3 G11 Physical Science Module 1
Q3 G11 Physical Science Module 1
Q3 G11 Physical Science Module 1
Quarter 3 – Module 1:
Star Formation & Evolution
Physical Science – Grade 11
Quarter 3 – Module 1: Star Formation and Evolution
First Edition, 2020
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As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning at home. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage
and assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
As a learner, you must learn to become responsible of your own learning. Take
time to read, understand, and perform the different activities in the module.
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer Let Us Try before moving on to the other activities.
3. Read the instructions carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are done.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are not
alone. We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning
and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!
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Let Us Learn
This module was designed for you, the learners. It is to facilitate you to learn
the appropriate knowledge and skills as you go through a series of worthwhile
activities. The lessons are arranged sequentially in this course to ease understanding
and mastery. The parameter of this module allows you to appreciate the formation
of heavier elements in the universe through star formation and evolution and the
pieces of evidence.
• Give evidence for and describe the formation of heavier elements during
star formation and evolution (MELC).
1. identify the heavier elements formed in the star evolution and their
atomic masses
2. explain the formation of heavier elements in the stages of star
evolution; and,
3. cite evidence about the formation of heavier elements during star
formation and evolution.
Let Us Try!
Choose the best answer and write your answers on a separate paper.
2. Which of the following is the correct sequence of the evolution of the star?
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3. What happens to the core temperature of a star as it ages/ evolves?
A. Decreases
B. Increases
C. Remains constant
D. Increases then decreases
4. In the main sequence star, what element is formed when hydrogen fuse in
the star’s core?
A. Beryllium C. Helium
B. Carbon D. Oxygen
5. How is the heavy element Carbon formed in a star’s core? It is formed via:
Let Us Study
Have you observed the bright stars in a clear night sky? Have you witnessed
the spectacular sunrise at dawn? I think you have. The sun is also a star in the
universe. Both the stars and sun in the universe take part of our everyday lives. We
could even say that we are the universe’s way of experiencing itself.
Meanwhile, looking beyond what we see in our own two eyes spark more the
inquisitive mind.
What are stars made of? How are they formed? Would they stay up in the sky
infinitely throughout their lifetime? These are just some of the queries that will be
unraveled in detail in this module.
Read the comic strips below and answer the questions that follow:
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Andres, do you
know that In fact, hydrogen,
Oh really! I don’t Hydrogen is the together w/ helium,
know that. Thank most abundant
element in the lithium & beryllium,
you, Hannah! universe? were formed through Big
Bang nucleosynthesis.
I am learning
a lot from
you, Hannah.
How about
the formation
of heavier Interestingly, they
elements? were formed within
stars.
That sounds
cool! I want to
know more of
that…
Questions:
What is a Star?
A star is a ball of gas strongly held together by its own gravitational force. The
Sun, our very own star, is the closest star to Earth and has been used by astronomers
as a model in studying stars in detail.
A star’s life starts as clouds of dust and gas. Gravity pulls these clouds
together. Various nuclear fusion reactions take place and drive the formation and
development of stars. Stars with different masses grow and “evolve” (or change)
throughout the different stages of their lives.
Stars, in general, begin life in the same way however they develop in different
ways depending on their size.
The sun, our star, is formed around 4.5 billion years ago. It is driven by
nuclear fusion, initially involving hydrogen and producing helium along with a high
amount of energy. This is the source of the energy of a star like our sun.
The formation of stars involves several stages and each stage could take
around million years.
The figure on the process of star formation shows the six (6) steps (A to F) of
star formation for Sun-like stars. The process begins on (A), where clouds of gas and
dust in the space between stars (ISM) collapse into a dense sphere of gas called a
prestellar core (B) that eventually will become the sun.
During the collapse, a disk (C) forms around the core, while two jets are
emitted at the poles. At some point the star stops growing, but gas still fall onto the
disk (D). After a few million years this process also halts. The star is now born (E),
while the planets are being formed from the left-over material, which will eventually
become a solar system (F). A solar system typically lives 10 billion years after the
formation process.
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Stars spend the majority of their life fusing hydrogen into helium through a
process called nuclear fusion. When the hydrogen is nearly used up, the star can
fuse helium into heavier elements. Elements heavier than beryllium are formed
inside the stars known as stellar nucleosynthesis.
The star formation theory suggests that stars are formed from the collapse
of the dense sections of molecular cloud. As this cloud collapses, the fragments
shrink to form a stellar core known as protostar. The protostar shrinks due to strong
gravitational force while its temperature increases. When the core temperature
reaches about 10 million Kelvin, nuclear reactions start. As a result, the contraction
is stopped and gravitational equilibrium is attained. The protostar has become a
main sequence star.
Evolution of Stars
Stars that are similar in size to the Sun follow the lower path in the figure:
Stars that are far greater in mass than the Sun follow the upper path in the figure:
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Note:
Symbol
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Alpha (α) 2He
0
Beta (β) −1𝑒
0
Gamma (γ) 0𝑌
Core
Stage Description Reaction
Temperature
6
12
6C + 42He 16
8O
Supergiant 7x 108 K In this stage, carbon fusion
occurs. The star undergoes a 16
+ 42He 20
8O 10Ne
series of reaction as more
alpha particles are fused to 20 4 24
form heavier elements all the 10Ne+ 2He 12Mg
way to iron in the core and in
24 4 28
the shells around the core. 12Mg+ 2He 14Si
44
22Ti + 42He 48
24Cr
48
24Cr + 42He 52
26Fe
Elements Formed:
Oxygen (O)
Neon (Ne)
Magnesium (Mg)
Silicon (Si)
Sulfur (S)
Argon (Ar)
Calcium (Ca)
Titanium (Ti)
Chromium(Cr)
Iron (Fe)
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Supernova 1 x 1011 K Finally, in this stage the Elements with
core is eventually unable to atomic
further generate energy to mass/weight
resist gravity due to the heavier than Iron
formation of heavier (Fe), except
elements. The gravity transuranium
squeezes the core until the elements.
star explodes and releases
high amount of energy into
space enough to form
elements heavier than iron
such as thorium and
uranium, except
transuranium elements
(Refer to Periodic Table of
Elements).
Subsequently, these
elements are absorbed in
the dust that condensed to
form new stars. Such star
explosion is known as
supernova.
Pieces of Evidence
1. Discovery of interstellar medium. This interstellar medium filled the
“empty space” between the stars. Molecular clouds of this medium are dense regions
where the concentrations of gas and dust are thousands of times greater than
elsewhere. It has become a reservoir from which matter like stars can be formed.
Hence, it provided a major piece of evidence which supported the star formation
theory.
2. Infrared Radiation (IR). This heat energy is emitted from different stages
of star formation and evolution. Most of the new stars cannot be seen in the visible
light because dense clouds of gas block their light. But using infrared spectrum, it
reveals the young stars behind the column of gas and dust. Through this, IR has
given us keys to unlock the mystery of the universe and to explain how stars are
born and to trace the origin of galaxies.
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Let Us Practice
Supply the needed information in the table below. For the third column, please
refer to the Periodic Table of Elements on page 16 as you answer. The first item is
done for you.
3. supergiant star
______________________________________________________________________________
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2. How is the heavier element Carbon formed in the process?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. How are heavier elements like O, Ne, Mg, Fe and the like formed in supergiant
star?
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. What piece of evidence supports that young stars are formed from gas and dust
particles?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Were you able to accomplish it? I hope you find the task easy and challenging.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the Universe and the first element
on the periodic table. Almost 90% of the Universe is hydrogen. The second most
abundant element is helium.
Nearly 10% of the Universe is helium. All of the other elements exist in much
lower abundances, much less than 1%. Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, magnesium,
silicon, and iron are some of the common and more abundant heavier elements in
the Universe.
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SERIES OF FUSION REACTIONS
Step 2: 3 ( 42𝐻𝑒) → 12
6𝐶 + 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
12
Step 3: 6𝐶 + 126𝐶 → ____(1)_____ + 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
12
Step 4: 6𝐶 + 126𝐶 → ____(2)_____ + 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
12
Step 5: 6𝐶 + 42𝐻𝑒 → ____(3)_____ + 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
16
Step 6: 8𝑂 + 168𝑂 → ____(4)_____ + 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
16 20
Step 7: 8𝑂 + ____(5)_____ → 10𝑁𝑒 + 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
56
Step 9: 28𝑁𝑖 → ____(7)____ + 𝑒 + (𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝛽 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑦)
56
Step 10: ____(8)____ → 26𝐹𝑒 + 𝑒 + (𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝛽 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑦)
56
Step 11: 26𝐹𝑒 + 10𝑛 → ___(9)___
57
Step 12: 26𝐹𝑒 + 10𝑛 → ___(10)___
58
Step 13: 26𝐹𝑒 + 10𝑛 → 59
26𝐹𝑒
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Let Us Remember
Through this module, you have learned the following important concepts about star
formation and evolution.
Let Us Assess
Read the questions carefully. Choose the best answer and write it on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. In the main sequence star, what element is formed when hydrogen fuse in
the star’s core?
A. Helium C. Carbon
B. Beryllium D. Oxygen
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6. How many Helium atom/s fuse/s together to produce Carbon?
A. 1 C. 3
B. 2 D. 4
7. What piece of evidence of star formation provides a view of stars due to their
heat energies?
A. Abundance of light elements C. Redshift
B. Infrared radiation D. Interstellar medium of gas &
dust
9. Which of the following is the correct sequence of the evolution of the star?
A. main sequence star, supergiant, red giant, supernova
B. main sequence star, red giant, supergiant, supernova
C. red giant, supergiant, main sequence star, supernova
D. supernova, main sequence star, red giant, supergiant
10. What stage of the evolution of the star produces the element Iron (Fe)?
11. What fuel is needed in a red giant star to begin its fusion reaction?
A. Hydrogen C. Carbon
B. Helium D. Iron
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Let Us Enhance
After learning the lesson of this module, it is time to apply what you have
learned into real life situation. This will be done for you to find connection and
meaning of the lesson to your personal life.
Please read the text below and write your reflection in a separate sheet of
paper.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Your response in the reflective essay will be rated based on the rubric. Please
be guided accordingly.
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Rubric in Assessing Reflective Essay
Let Us Reflect
Stars are the most widely recognized astronomical objects, and represent
the most fundamental building blocks of galaxies. The age, distribution, and
composition of the stars in a galaxy trace the history, dynamics, and evolution of
that galaxy. Moreover, stars are responsible for the manufacture and distribution
of heavy elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, and their characteristics
are intimately tied to the characteristics of the planetary systems that may
coalesce about them. Consequently, the study of the birth, life, and death of stars
is central to the field of astronomy.
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16
Photo obtained and used with permission
from Anne Helmenstine
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Processing Questions:
1. What do you observe to the atomic mass/weight of the
elements as the star ages/evolves?
The atomic mass/weight of the elements becomes heavier
as the star ages.
2. How is the heavier element Carbon formed in the process?
The element Carbon is formed from fusion of three Helium
atoms.
3. How are heavier elements like O, Ne, Mg, Fe and the like
formed in supergiant star?
The heavier elements like O, Ne, Mg and Fe are formed in
supergiant star by fusion of more alpha particles.
4. What piece of evidence supports that young stars are
formed from gas and dust particles?
The discovery of interstellar medium supports the
formation of young stars from gas and dust particles.
Activity 1: Unlocking Heavier Elements
Stages Element/s Formed Atomic mass/weight
1. main sequence star Helium (He) 4.0026
2. red giant star Carbon (C) 12.011
3. supergiant star Oxygen (O) 15.999
Neon (Ne) 20.180
Magnesium (Mg) 24.305
Silicon (Si) 28.085
Sulfur (S) 32.06
Argon (Ar) 39.948
Calcium (Ca) 40.078
Titanium (Ti) 47.867
Chromium (Cr) 51.996
Iron (Fe) 55.845
4. supernova (at least 3 Answers may vary
elements) *only naturally-occurring
elements
Let Us Assess. Let Us Assess Let Us Assess Let Us Try
11. B 6. C 1. A 1. D
2. C
12. C 7. B 2. C 3. B
13. D 8. C 3. A 4. C
5. B
14. B 9. B 4. C
15. B 10. C 5. D
Answer Key
References
Religioso, Estrella E. Mendoza & Teresita F. 2000. Chemistry. Quezon City: Phoenix
Publishing House, Inc.
Christensen M (2019) How Do Stars Form?. Front. Young Minds. 7:92. doi:
10.3389/frym.2019.00092
BBC GCSE (2021) Accessed at
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zpxv97h/revision/1.
Telefax: 224-3274