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Stars and the Universe
Understand that the Sun is the nearest star to Earth and that astronomical distances are measured in light-years, defined as the distance light travels in one year in a vacuum.
14
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140
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98
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90 min
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CambridgeIGCSECombined ScienceSpace physics
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Stars and the Universe outcomes14 objectives
- Understand that the Sun is the nearest star to Earth and that astronomical distances are measured in light-years, defined as the distance light travels in one year in a vacuum.
- Calculate the duration it takes for light to cover significant distances, such as between celestial bodies in the Solar System.
- Recognize that the Sun holds the majority of the Solar System's mass, which accounts for the planets' orbits around it.
- Define orbital speed using the formula 2 r π v = T, where r represents the orbit's radius and T is the orbital period, and be able to recall and apply this equation.
- Understand that the gravitational pull of the Sun is the force that keeps objects in orbit around it.
- Know that the Sun is a medium-sized star primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, emitting most of its energy in the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
- Recognize that stable stars form as protostars from interstellar gas and dust clouds due to gravitational forces.
- Understand that the subsequent stages in a star's life cycle depend on its mass: (a) a small mass star (similar to the Sun) evolves from red giant to white dwarf and planetary nebula; (b) a large mass star becomes a red supergiant, then a supernova, and may turn into a neutron star; (c) a very large mass star also becomes a red supergiant, then a supernova, and can form a black hole.
- Know that galaxies consist of billions of stars, with the Sun being one of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy, and that other stars in the Milky Way are significantly farther from Earth than the Sun.
- Understand that the Milky Way is one of billions of galaxies in the Universe, with a diameter of about 100,000 light-years.
- Know that the Sun's gravitational strength diminishes with distance, leading to decreased orbital speeds of planets as they move further from the Sun.
- Understand that stars derive their energy from nuclear reactions, primarily the fusion of hydrogen into helium in stable stars.
- Know that the remnants of a supernova can lead to the formation of new stars and their orbiting planets.
- Understand that the Big Bang Theory, supported by various astronomical observations, posits that: (a) the Universe expanded from a singular point of high density and temperature; (b) the Universe continues to expand; (c) the Universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old.
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