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Stars
Identify that galaxies consist of billions of stars, that the Sun is a star located in the Milky Way galaxy, that other stars in the Milky Way are significantly farther from Earth than the Sun, and that astronomical distances are measured in light-years, with one light-year being the distance light travels in a year in a vacuum.
3
Objectives
30
Flashcards
21
Questions
90 min
Study time
CambridgeIGCSEPhysicsSpace physics
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Stars outcomes3 objectives
- Identify that galaxies consist of billions of stars, that the Sun is a star located in the Milky Way galaxy, that other stars in the Milky Way are significantly farther from Earth than the Sun, and that astronomical distances are measured in light-years, with one light-year being the distance light travels in a year in a vacuum.
- Recognize that one light-year is equivalent to 9.5 x 10^15 meters.
- Explain the stages in the life cycle of a star, including: the formation from interstellar gas and dust containing hydrogen, the development of a protostar from a collapsing interstellar cloud, the stabilization of a star when gravitational forces are balanced by thermal pressure, the depletion of hydrogen as fuel for nuclear reactions, the expansion of most stars into red giants or red supergiants after hydrogen is converted to helium, the formation of a planetary nebula and white dwarf from a less massive star, the supernova explosion of a red supergiant leading to a nebula with new elements, and the potential for new stars and planets to form from the supernova remnants.
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