Life Cycle of a Star - Input Lab Stations

Discover the amazing life cycle of stars, from birth to supernova explosions!

Read It StationEach member of the group will read the passage and answer the questions from thetask cards on the lab sheet in the Read It! section.It is important to remember that the answers will come directly from the reading passage. What is a Supernova?A supernova is the largest explosion of any star. It takes a place in outer space.Where Do Supernovas Take Place?Supernovas are often seen in other galaxies. But supernovas are hard to see in our own Milky Way galaxy. This is because dust blocks our view. In 1604, Johannes Kepler discovered the last seen supernova in the Milky Way. However, NASA's Chandra telescope found evidence of a more recent supernova. It exploded in the Milky Way more than a hundred years ago.What Causes a Supernova?A supernova happens where there is a change in the core, or center, of a star. A change can happen in two ways. Both end in a supernova.The first type of supernova happens in a two-star system. Binary stars are two stars that circle the same point. One of the stars, a white dwarf, takes matter from its paired star. Eventually, the white dwarf collects to much matter. Having too much matter causes the star to explode, resulting in a supernova.The second type of supernova happens at the end of a single star's lifetime. As the star runs out of fuel, some of its mass flows into its core. Eventually, the core is so heavy that it cannot bear its own gravitational force. The core breaks down. This causes the giant blast of a supernova. The sun is a solitary star. It does not have enough mass to become a supernova. 1. What are Supernovas? the largest explosion of any star a dwarf planet part of the asteroid belt 2. Where do supernovas take place? between galaxies throughout the universe 3. How often do we see Supernovas? all the time never very rarely 4. How can supernovas form? When two stars collide When a white dwarf accumulates to much matter At the end of a star's life cycle when fuel runs out and it explodes Both B and C 5. Can the Sun ever become a Supernova? yes, anytime no, it does not have enough mass Watch It Station: Life Cycle of a Star After watching the video answer the questions below. 6. What force pulls the socks in tighter and tighter into the bag? gravity energy 7. What two types of stars did the video focus on? dwarf and superstars the average star and the massive star 8. What do we call it when atoms combine together to make a new element? fusion combining 9. Do stars ever run out of gas? no yes 10. What do we call a massive star when it runs out of fuel and explodes? a supernova an average star 11. Can light escape from black holes? yes no Life Cycle of a Star Diagram 12. What is one thing that you notice about the life cycle of a star from the diagram above? Look at the diagram above for about 2 minutes and answer the question. Make sure you use a full sentence and do not only put one word. 13. Where are all stars born or where do they all begin? planetary nebulae supernova 14. What determines which life cycle path a star takes? its random the stars mass Star in a Box Click the slider to "normal" and then open the box.Change the different masses of the star and watch how the temperature changes. Research It Station 17. What do you notice from the simulation when a star's mass grows? Does the temperature increase what type of star does it end up as? Use full sentence - do not use a simple word. 18. What do you notice about the star when the mass is less than the sun? Please answer the question in a full sentence. 19. What phase of a star's life cycle do you find the most interesting?