Question

Which of the following affect the life of a star?

• A. The mass of the star
• B. The number of surrounding planets
• C. The rate of component exhaustion
• D. (a) and (c) above.

Answer 1

The correct option is D (a) and (c) above.

Stars are gigantic spheres of hot ionised gaseous matter consisting primarily of hydrogen, helium, and traces of heavier elements like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. Hydrogen combines at a star's centre to form helium in a process called thermonuclear fusion. As long as the process is going on in a star, it remains active and mostly stable. So, the rate of the fusion affects the performance of a star. Therefore, a star's life and performance depend on:

• Mass: how heavy or light the star is.
• Rate of component consumption: how fast or slow the contents are used as the fuel to run the star.
• Rate of nuclear fusion: how fast or slow the hydrogen fuel is converted into helium and other heavier elements.