Homework Help is Here – Start Your Trial Now!
Science
Advanced Physics
Why massive stars are short lived?

Why massive stars are short lived?

icon
Related questions
Question
**Why are massive stars short-lived?** Massive stars, despite their impressive size and brightness, have surprisingly short lifespans compared to less massive stars. This is primarily because they burn through their nuclear fuel at a much faster rate. In the cores of stars, hydrogen is fused into helium via nuclear fusion. For massive stars, the rate of fusion is significantly higher, leading to a rapid consumption of hydrogen. This accelerated fusion process generates immense amounts of energy, causing the star to shine brightly but also depleting its fuel reserves quickly. Once the hydrogen is exhausted, the star begins to fuse heavier elements like helium, carbon, and eventually iron. Each stage of fusion is progressively shorter, and once iron is produced, fusion no longer generates energy. This results in the star's collapse and often leads to a dramatic supernova explosion. Thus, the larger the star, the more fuel it has but the faster it uses it up, leading to a much shorter lifespan in astronomical terms.
Transcribed Image Text:**Why are massive stars short-lived?** Massive stars, despite their impressive size and brightness, have surprisingly short lifespans compared to less massive stars. This is primarily because they burn through their nuclear fuel at a much faster rate. In the cores of stars, hydrogen is fused into helium via nuclear fusion. For massive stars, the rate of fusion is significantly higher, leading to a rapid consumption of hydrogen. This accelerated fusion process generates immense amounts of energy, causing the star to shine brightly but also depleting its fuel reserves quickly. Once the hydrogen is exhausted, the star begins to fuse heavier elements like helium, carbon, and eventually iron. Each stage of fusion is progressively shorter, and once iron is produced, fusion no longer generates energy. This results in the star's collapse and often leads to a dramatic supernova explosion. Thus, the larger the star, the more fuel it has but the faster it uses it up, leading to a much shorter lifespan in astronomical terms.
Expert Solution
steps

Step by step

Solved in 2 steps

SEE SOLUTIONCheck out a sample Q&A here
Blurred answer
Similar questions