The life cycle of a star

Telescopes are used to observe distant objects.

Complete the sentences.

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What is the name of our galaxy?

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The Sun is our nearest star.

What will happen to the Sun at the end of its life cycle?

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The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope ever launched into space.

Very distant galaxies can be observed using the James Webb Space Telescope.

How does the speed of a very distant galaxy compare to the speed of a much nearer galaxy?

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There is an observed increase in the wavelength of light from most distant galaxies.

What name is given to this increase in the wavelength of light?

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Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope support the Big Bang theory.

Complete the sentence.

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The Big Bang theory suggests that the universe began from a region that

What does the Big Bang theory suggest is happening to the size of the universe?

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The Universe contains many stars.

The Sun is the star at the centre of our solar system.

Give three other types of object that form our solar system.

Some main sequence stars will eventually form black holes.

Table 3 gives the mass of four stars.

Which star in Table 3 is most likely to form a black hole?

The distance from Cygni A to the Earth is 1.1 × 10⁸ gigametres.

Which distance is the same as 1.1 × 10⁸ gigametres?

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The light spectrum from every galaxy includes dark lines.

The lines have the same pattern.

Figure 7 shows the position of dark lines in the visible spectra of light from the Sun and from two distant galaxies.

Explain what these light spectra tell us about the velocities of galaxy A and galaxy B.

The distance between Arcturus and the Earth is 3.6 × 10¹⁴ km.

Calculate the time taken for light from Arcturus to reach the Earth.

Use the Physics Equations Sheet.

When stars are formed, they contain mostly hydrogen.

Describe how stars produce all other naturally occurring elements.

Figure 10 shows an old scientific model of the solar system that has now been replaced.

Which statement is a reason for replacing an old scientific model with a newer scientific model? Tick (✓) one box.

Compare the model of the solar system used now with the old model of the solar system shown in Figure 10.

Table 1 shows data about four planets.

How does the time taken for one orbit change as the mean distance from the Sun increases?

The bar chart in Figure 11 shows some of the data from Table 1.

Complete the bar chart. Use data from Table 1.

All stars have a life cycle. A, B and C in Figure 12 represent three stages in the life cycle of the Sun. The stages are in the correct order. Draw one line from each stage to the name of the stage.

Stars act like black bodies. Which statement is true for perfect black bodies? Tick (✓) one box.

Galaxies contain billions of stars.

Compare the formation and life cycles of stars with a similar mass to the Sun to stars with a much greater mass than the Sun.

The points on Figure 11 represent galaxies that are moving away from the Milky Way.

Each arrow represents the velocity of the galaxy relative to the Milky Way.

Light from all galaxies represented in Figure 11 is red-shifted.

Describe what is meant by red-shift.

Explain how Figure 11 provides evidence for the Big Bang theory.

Sometimes scientists have to change theories about the universe.

Give the reason why.

The Sun is the closest star to the Earth.

A 2.5 kg mass would have a weight of 750 N at the surface of the Sun. Calculate the gravitational field strength at the surface of the Sun. Use the equation:

Gravity is a non-contact force. Which of the following is also a non-contact force? Tick (✓) one box.

All stars have a life cycle. Figure 15 shows part of the life cycle of a star that becomes a black dwarf. Complete Figure 15. Choose answers from the box.

Black hole Neutron star Red giant Supernova White dwarf

Table 3 gives the mass of three stars compared to the mass of the Sun.

Which letter represents the star most likely to become a black dwarf? Give a reason for your answer. Tick (✓) one box.

In which stage of the life cycle of a star are elements heavier than iron produced? Tick (✓) one box.

A main sequence star in a distant galaxy is the same size and mass as the Sun.

Explain why the star is stable while it is in the main sequence stage of its life cycle.

Describe what will happen to the star between the main sequence stage and the end of the star’s life cycle. You should include the names of the stages in the life cycle of the star.

Figure 5 shows how the speed of galaxies moving away from Earth varies with the distance of the galaxies from Earth.

Which galaxy would show the smallest observed change in the wavelength of visible light? Give a reason for your answer. Tick (✓) one box.

Complete the sentences. The Sun is a stable star. This is because the forces pulling inwards caused by

Write down the equation that links distance travelled (s), speed (v) and time (t).

The mean distance between the Sun and the Earth is 1.5 10¹¹ m. Light travels at a speed of 3.0 10⁸ m/s. Calculate the time taken for light from the Sun to reach the Earth.

Some stars are much more massive than the Sun. Describe the life cycle of stars much more massive than the Sun, including the formation of new elements.

Stars emit radiation with a range of wavelengths. Which property of a star does the range of wavelengths depend on? Tick (✓) one box.

Complete the sentences. The Sun is a stable star. This is because the forces pulling inwards caused by

Write down the equation that links distance travelled (s), speed (v) and time (t).

The mean distance between the Sun and the Earth is 1.5 10¹¹ m. Light travels at a speed of 3.0 10⁸ m/s. Calculate the time taken for light from the Sun to reach the Earth.

Some stars are much more massive than the Sun. Describe the life cycle of stars much more massive than the Sun, including the formation of new elements.

Stars emit radiation with a range of wavelengths. Which property of a star does the range of wavelengths depend on? Tick (✓) one box.