What are the 5 stages of a low mass star?

Low mass star
  • Main Sequence. Low mass stars spend billions of years fusing hydrogen to helium in their cores via the proton-proton chain. …
  • Red Giant. When hydrogen fusion can no longer happen in the core, gravity begins to collapse the core again. …
  • Planetary Nebula. …
  • White Dwarf.

What is the difference between low and high mass stars?

Low mass stars are cooler, and are reddish. High mass stars are hotter, and are white or blue white. Extremely high mass stars may even shine a pale violet, which is more “blue” than blue white. High mass stars are also much brighter than low mass stars, because they produce much more energy.

What do low mass stars and high mass stars have in common?

Both, a low mass Star and a High mass Star will Start off with fusing hydrogen into Helium, though a high mass Star will burn it faster because of increased pressure and temperature in the core. A second difference is the ability to create heavier elements.

What are the 7 stages of a low mass star?

All stars, irrespective of their size, follow the same 7 stage cycle, they start as a gas cloud and end as a star remnant.
  • Giant Gas Cloud. A star originates from a large cloud of gas. …
  • Protostar. …
  • T-Tauri Phase. …
  • Main Sequence. …
  • Red Giant. …
  • The Fusion of Heavier Elements. …
  • Supernovae and Planetary Nebulae.

What are 2 characteristics of low mass stars?

Low mass stars (stars with masses less than half the mass of the Sun) are the smallest, coolest and dimmest Main Sequence stars and orange, red or brown in colour. Low mass stars use up their hydrogen fuel very slowly and consequently have long lives.

What are some unique characteristics of high and low mass stars?

Hence, high-mass stars burn out their energy quicker than low-mass stars. A star with a mass ten times that of the sun can live on the main sequence of 20 million years, whereas low-mass stars, such as red dwarf stars, may have main-sequence lifespans greater than the current age of the universe.

What elements do low mass stars produce?

Low-mass stars eject large amounts of helium, carbon, and nitrogen produced in the shell burnings. The process is more gradual than for high-mass stars; the ejection of the stellar envelope lasts more than 100,000 years, compared with a few seconds for a core-collapse supernova.

What is an example of a low mass star?

Our sun is an example of a low-mass star. Most stars (~99%) are low mass stars. The least massive are red, heavier stars are yellow (like the Sun), and the most massive are white. All low mass stars eventually produce a mini star (called a white dwarf star) and a nebula (called a planetary nebula).

How does a low mass star form?

Abstract Low-mass stars are generally understood to form by the gravitational collapse of the dense molecular clouds known as starless cores.

What are High Mass stars?

High-mass stars are very luminous and short lived. They forge heavy elements in their cores, explode as supernovas, and expel these elements into space. Apart from hydrogen and helium, most of the elements in the universe, including those comprising Earth and everything on it, came from these stars.

Why do high and low mass stars evolve differently?

mass. Why does a high-mass star evolve differently from a low-mass star? It can fuse additional elements because its core can get hotter. protostar, main sequence, red giant, white dwarf.

Do High Mass or low mass stars live longer?

A star’s life expectancy depends on its mass. Generally, the more massive the star, the faster it burns up its fuel supply, and the shorter its life. The most massive stars can burn out and explode in a supernova after only a few million years of fusion.

Why do High Mass stars age faster than low mass stars?

Because thermonuclear fusion occurs at a faster rate in massive stars, large stars use all of their fuel in a shorter length of time. This means that bigger is not better with respect to how long a star will live. A smaller star has less fuel, but its rate of fusion is not as fast.

What are the elements formed by a low mass star?

Low mass stars end up as White Dwarfs composed of mainly Carbon and Oxygen. Medium mass stars have higher temperatures in their cores. The higher T allows fusion reactions creating Oxygen, Neon, Sodium and Magnesium. Medium mass stars end up as White Dwarfs composed of the higher mass elements.

What is the life cycle of a low mass star?

For low-mass stars (left hand side), after the helium has fused into carbon, the core collapses again. As the core collapses, the outer layers of the star are expelled. A planetary nebula is formed by the outer layers. The core remains as a white dwarf and eventually cools to become a black dwarf.