(a) Figure 1 shows the life cycle of a very large star.

1.
Use the correct answers from the box to complete the sentences in Figure 1.

main sequence star neutron star supernova white dwarf

Figure 1

Gas and dust join together to become a protostar.

The star is stable as a ____________________ .

The star expands to become a red super giant.

The outer layers of the star explode as a ____________ .

The core of the star shrinks and a black hole is formed.

(2)

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 (b) Figure 2 shows the forces acting on a star when the star is stable.

Figure 2

Draw a ring around the correct answer to complete the sentence.

bigger than
When a star is stable, the forces pushing outwards are smaller than
balanced by

the forces pulling inwards.

(1)
(Total 3 marks)

Astronomers claim that there are about 300 billion stars in the Milky Way.
2.
(a) Describe how stars are formed.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(3)

(b) Use the correct answer from the box to complete the sentence.

decay fission fusion

Energy is released in stars by the process of nuclear _______________________ .

(1)

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 (c) State why a star is stable during the ‘main sequence’ period of its life cycle.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(d) The life cycle of a star after the ‘main sequence’ period depends on the size of the star.

A particular star is the same size as the Sun.

What are the stages, after the main sequence, in the life cycle of this star?

State them in order by writing in the boxes.

(3)
(Total 8 marks)

Starting with the smallest, list the following in order of increasing size.
3.
Universe Earth Milky Way Sun

Smallest ______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

Largest _______________________________
(2)

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(b) Stars pass through different stages during their life cycle.

The diagram shows the forces acting on the Sun during the stable stage of its life cycle.

Complete the following sentence by drawing a ring around the correct line in the box.

During the stable stage of the Sun’s life cycle, the forces pulling inwards

smaller than

are equal to the forces pushing outwards.

bigger than

(1)

(c) During its life cycle, the Sun will never go through a supernova stage but the star Mira will.

(i) What is a supernova?

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Explain why the Sun will not go through the supernova stage but the star Mira will.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

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 Stars go through a life cycle.
4.
Some stars will finish their life cycle as a black dwarf and other stars as a black hole.

(a) The table below gives the mass, relative to the Sun, of three stars, J, K and L.

Mass of the star

Star
relative to the Sun

J 0.5

K 14.5

L 20.0

Which one of the stars, J, K or L, will become a black dwarf? __________________

Give a reason for your answer.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(b) Scientists can take the measurements needed to calculate the mass of many stars.

Scientists cannot calculate the mass of the star Betelgeuse.

They estimate that the star has a mass between 8 and 20 times the mass of the Sun.

(i) Betelgeuse is in the red super giant stage of its life cycle.

What will happen to Betelgeuse at the end of the red super giant stage?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Suggest one reason why scientists can only estimate and not calculate the mass of
Betelgeuse.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

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 (iii) In the future, it may become possible for scientists to calculate the mass of
Betelgeuse.

Suggest one reason why.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(c) Describe what happens to a star, after the main sequence period, for the star to eventually
become a black dwarf.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(5)
(Total 10 marks)

Stars go through a life cycle. About 90 % of all stars are in the ‘main sequence’ period of the life
5. cycle.

(a) Stars are stable during the ‘main sequence’ period of the life cycle.

Why?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

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(b) The table gives an estimated time for the number of years that three stars, X, Y and Z, will
be in the ‘main sequence’ period of their life cycle.

Relative mass of the star Estimated ‘main sequence’

Star
compared to the Sun period in millions of years

X 0.1 4 000 000

Y 1.0 9 000

Z 40.0 200

(i) This data suggests that there is a pattern linking the mass of a star and the number of
years the star is in the ‘main sequence’ period of its life cycle.

What is the pattern suggested by the data?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Scientists cannot give the exact number of years a star will be in the ‘main sequence’
period.

Suggest why.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

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 (iii) Nuclear fusion is the process by which energy is released in stars.

Which one of the following can be concluded from the data in the table?

Draw a ring around the correct answer in the box to complete the sentence.

faster than

The rate of nuclear fusion in a large star is the same as in a small star.

slower than

Explain the reason for your answer.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(3)

(c) In this question you will be assessed on using good English, organising information clearly
and using specialist terms where appropriate.

Describe what happens to a star much bigger than the Sun, once the star reaches the end
of the ‘main sequence’ period of its life cycle.

Your answer should include the names of the stages the star passes through.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(6)
(Total 12 marks)

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