Topic 8 - Space Physics

Question 1

What are the stages of a star, all stars go through?

Answer 1

1. dust and gas called a nembula is pulled together by gravity, making a protostar
2. The temp rises, the star gets denser and more particles collide.
3. Once the temp is high enough, hydrogen nuclei undergo fusion to make helium nuclei, releasing lots of heat, making a proper star
4. It then enters the main sequence star period for billions of years. The outward pressure from nuclear fusion is balanced by the force of gravity
5. Eventually the hydrogen dwindles. The star swells into a reg giant (if small like ours) or a red super giant (if it’s huge).
6. It becomes red as the surface cools
7. Fusion of helium and other lements occcurs, creating heavier elements up until iron in the core of the star.
8. At this point different stars do different things

Question 2

What are the stages of a star only small ones go though?

Like little sunny in the skyey

Answer 2

1.The star becomes unstable and ejects its outer layer of dust and gas, leaving beheind a hot dense core - a white dwarf
2.As the white dwarf coools, it emits less energy. Once it no longer emits much, it is a black dwarf, and its life comes to a quiet end.

Question 3

What are the stages of a star, which are gigantanormousness

Answer 3

1.Big stars grow brightly again as they expand and contract several times, forming elements as heavy as iron.
2.Eventually they explode in a supernova forming elements heavier than iron,
3.The exploding supernova throws the outer layers of dust and gas into space, leaving a dense core called a neutron star
4.If the star was fat enough, it will become a black hole.

Question 4

What are dwarf planets?

Answer 4

planet like objects which don’t reach all criteria

Question 5

What is a requirement to be a planet?

Answer 5

You have to clear the neighbourhood, by pulling in all nearby objects by gravity, apart from natural satellites.

Question 6

What evidence is there for the universe expanding?

Answer 6

1.Light from the most distant galaxies is red shifted
2.This shows the source of the light is moving away from us.
3.More distant galacies have greater red shifts than closer ones, this means theyre moving faster.

Question 7

What is red shift

Answer 7

The lengthening of wavelengths of light, shifting them towards the red end of the spectrum.

Question 8

How does red shift support the big bang?

Answer 8

1.It shows that all galaxies are moving away from eachother quickly
2.Therefore they must have all started from a single point

Question 9

What is the big bang?

Answer 9

1.All matter in the universe was in a very small space
2.This was very dense and very hot
3.Then it exploded, and space expanded