Star in A Box Worksheet - Beginning
Star in A Box Worksheet - Beginning
Star in A Box Worksheet - Beginning
A. Click the play button below the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram to show the Sun’s evolution. Once it is
complete, you can click on “Data Table” (upper right) to see the final values for each stage in the lifecycle.
The sun changes over its lifetime by expanding into a red giant, with a
1. Describe how the Sun changes over its lifetime. mass getting lighter, then shrinks into white dwarf, a cooling
temperature
2. When will the Sun be at its brightest? When at a red giant
4. In which stage of its life does the Sun spend the longest time? In the main sequence
5. In which stage of life will the Sun undergo the most change? As a red giant
6. What kind of star will the Sun be at the end of its life? A white dwarf
B. By adjusting the mass of the star in the “Star Properties” you can explore the evolution of different stars. I could
1. Where do the different mass stars lie on the main sequence? not find
where
2. List the different final stages of a star’s life. Red giant, white dwarf this was
C. Follow the evolution for five stars with different masses. Complete the table below filling in a row for each
mass (you will need to watch the evolution not just look at the Data Table summary).
1. Are more massive stars the brightest and hottest types of star for their whole lives? yes.
2. Which mass star gets the hottest? 40
E. Deneb and Betelgeuse are both 20x the mass of the Sun, but look very different. Deneb has 100 times the
radius of the Sun and its temperature is about 8000 K. Betelgeuse has 1000 times the radius of the Sun and its
temperature is about 3500 K.
Select a star with 20x the mass of the Sun and run the animation, use this to find:
1. What stages of their lives the two stars are in. Main sequence