Q: Why does reaching iron in a massive star’s core mark the end of its life?
A: Iron fusion does not produce energy, so there is no outward pressure to balance gravity. This causes the core to collapse, triggering a supernova and forming either a neutron star or a black hole.
Q: What is Newton’s First Law of Motion?
A: An object remains at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. This is the law of inertia.
Q: What is Newton’s Second Law of Motion?
A: Force = mass × acceleration (F = ma). The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force applied and inversely proportional to its mass.
Q: What is Newton’s Third Law of Motion?
A: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If object A exerts a force on object B, object B exerts the same force back on object A in the opposite direction.
Q: What is Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation?
A: The force of gravity between two objects is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them:
F=Gm1m2r2F=Gr2m1m2
A white dwarf is made primarily of carbon and oxygen because:
During the red giant phase, helium fusion creates carbon and oxygen in the core.
The Sun is not massive enough to fuse these heavier elements into iron (which happens only in massive stars).
Once fusion stops, the core remains as an electron-degenerate carbon-oxygen white dwarf, slowly cooling over time.
Stars form in clusters because they originate from giant molecular clouds (GMCs), which are large, dense, and coldregions of gas and dust. Several factors contribute to the clustering of stars:
The most common stellar remnant is a white dwarf.
Why?
Low- and intermediate-mass stars (like the Sun) end their lives as white dwarfs, and these stars are the most common.
High-mass stars, which form neutron stars and black holes, are much rarer.
The most common type of star in the universe is a red dwarf (M-type main sequence star).
Characteristics:
Low mass (~0.08–0.5 times the Sun’s mass).
Cool temperatures (~2,500–4,000 K).
Very dim, making them hard to detect.
Extremely long lifetimes (potentially trillions of years).
Layers of the Sun (from innermost to outermost):
Core – The central region where nuclear fusion occurs.
Radiative Zone – The region where energy is transported outward by radiation.
Convective Zone – The outer layer of the Sun's interior, where energy is transported by convection.
Photosphere – The visible surface of the Sun.
Chromosphere – A thin layer above the photosphere, part of the Sun’s atmosphere.
Corona – The outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere, extending into space.