morgankristianbellLv1

7 Mar 2022

STAR IN A BOX-STUDYING H-R DIAGRAM

* Launch Star in a Box at https://starinabox.lco,global/# .

* Open the lid. The main plot is a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. On the right, the information panel allows comparisons between the radius, surface temperature, luminosity, and mass of the star relative to the Sun. The starting parameters are for a star like the Sun.

PART 1.

Click the play button below the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram to show the Sun's evolution. Once it is complete, you can click on "Data Table" (upper right) to see a range of parameters.

1. Describe how the Sun changes over its lifetime.

2. When will the Sun be at its brightest?

3. When will the Sun be at its hottest?

4. In which stage of its life does the Sun spend the longest time?

5. In which stage of life will the Sun undergo the most change?

6. What kind of star will the Sun be at the end of its life?

7. How long will the Sun live for?

 

PART 2:

By adjusting the mass of the star in the "Star Properties" you can explore the evolution of different stars.

1. Where do the different mass stars lie on the main sequence>

2. List the different final stages of a star's life.

 

PART 3:

 Follow the evolution for five stars with different masses. Complete the table below filling in a row for each mass.

 

PART 4:

Compare the data table for a range of stars.

1. Are more massive stars the brightest and hottest types of star for their whole lives?

2. Which mass star gets the hottest?

3. Which mass star gets the coolest?

4. Which mass star becomes the most luminous?

 

PART 5:

Deneb and Betelgeuse are both 20x the mass of the Sun, but look very different. Deneb has 100 times the radius of the Sun and its temperature is about 8000K. Betelgeuse has 1000 times the radius of the Sun and its temperature is about 3500K.

1. What stages of their lives are the two stars in?

2. How long does each star have to live?