Download Stellar Evolution Simulation

Stellar Evolution Simulation
In this activity, you will be tracing the lifecycle of several different types of stars.
First, go onto http://www.planetseed.com/laboratory/virtual-experiment-build-your-own-star. You will
want to keep this website open as it lists some terms that you might not be familiar with.
Read through the page. Once you are done reading, click on the “Now it's time to Build Your Own Star…”
link (it appears at the bottom under the text that you need to read). A new page will open. The major
sections we will be concerned with will be:
Mass slider:
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Timeline:
The stage of the star’s evolution:
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Information Box about the star:
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
A sun-like star
In the bottom left hand corner there is a mass slider; these numbers refer to the mass of the star with respect
to the mass of the sun (Example- a mass of 0.5 is 0.5 times the mass of the sun). We will first look at the
stellar evolution of a sun like star; to do so, set the mass to 1.0. To start the simulation, hit the forward
button ( ). If you need to review a section, you can click anywhere on the timeline to go forward or
backward.
Quick Time™a nd a
dec ompr esso r
ar e nee ded to see this pictur e.
1. Compare and contrast a protostar and a main sequence star. You can use your notes to answer this or use
the information box
2. Answer the following about the main sequence of the star’s evolution:
a. What happens to the temperature?
b.
What happens to the radius?
c.
What happens to the luminosity?
d.
About how many billions of years is the star in the main sequence?
3. Answer the following about the Hertzsprung Gap of the star’s evolution:
a.
What happens to the temperature?
b.
What happens to the radius?
c.
What happens to the luminosity?
4. Answer the following about the Giant Branch of the star’s evolution:
a.
What happens to the temperature?
b.
What happens to the radius?
c.
What happens to the luminosity?
5.
After the giant branch, explain what happens to a sun like star.
A star smaller than the sun
Set the mass slider to 0.5 and hit play.
6. What types of elements will this type of star make?
7. Answer the following about the main sequence of the star’s evolution:
a.
What happens to the temperature?
b.
What happens to the radius?
c.
What happens to the luminosity?
d.
About how many millions of years is the star in the main sequence?
8. Compare and contrast the evolution of a sun like star to the evolution of a star smaller than the sun. You
should include a comparison of their lifetimes, how they began, how they end, and their characteristics in
the main sequence (radii, temperature, luminosity)
A star larger than the sun
Set the mass slider to 2 and hit play.
9. What types of elements will this type of star make?
10.. Compare and contrast the evolution of a sun like star to the evolution of a star larger than the sun You
should include a comparison of their lifetimes, how they began, how they end, and their characteristics in
the main sequence (radii, temperature, luminosity)
A star much larger than the sun
Set the mass slider to 100 and hit play.
11. What types of elements will this type of star make?
12. Briefly explain what happens during the lifetime of a star much larger than the sun.
13.. Compare and contrast the evolution of a sun like star to the evolution of a star much larger than the
sun.You should include a comparison of their lifetimes, how they began, how they end, and their
characteristics in the main sequence (radii, temperature, luminosity)