Stellar Evolution
4 marks · EasyState one difference between the life cycle of a star with a mass similar to the Sun and that of a much more massive star at the end of their lives.
The star Betelgeuse will become a supernova. Explain why only some stars end their life as supernovae, and what happens to the material left behind after the explosion.
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(a) A star like the Sun ends as a white dwarf, while a much more massive star can end as a neutron star or black hole.
(b) Only stars with much greater mass than the Sun undergo supernovae. After the explosion, the material left may form a neutron star or, if it is massive enough, a black hole.
Common mistakes: saying all stars go supernova; confusing white dwarf and neutron star
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Marking points
B1 (a) · 1 mark · States correct difference: e.g., Sun-like star ends as white dwarf, massive star as neutron star or black hole.
B2 (b) · 1 mark · States only more massive stars become supernovae.
B3 (b) · 1 mark · States material left behind forms a neutron star.
B4 (b) · 1 mark · States if enough mass remains, it forms a black hole.
Worked solution
a) A star like the Sun ends its life as a white dwarf. A star much more massive ends as a neutron star or a black hole.
b) Only stars that are much more massive than the Sun end as supernovae because the core is massive enough to collapse violently. The material left behind forms a neutron star, and if it is very massive, collapses further into a black hole.