How does a protostar become a main sequence star quizlet?
A protostar becomes a main sequence star when its core temp. Exceeds ten million K . The length of time depends on the mass of the star. The larger the star the faster this takes place.
What stage is a main sequence star?
Stage 4 – The star begins to release energy, stopping it from contracting even more and causes it to shine. It is now a Main Sequence Star. Stage 5 – A star of one solar mass remains in main sequence for about 10 billion years, until all of the hydrogen has fused to form helium.
What is the difference between a protostar and a main sequence star?
A protostar is the stage in a star’s life before it is hot enough to fuse hydrogen (13 million K). Main sequence stars are stars that fuse hydrogen and exhibit a state of “Hydrostatic Equilibrium”.
What process allows a protostar to become a star?
If the protostar can reach a temperature of 10 million degrees kelvin, the hydrogen fusion process will start and it will become an actual star.
What happens when a protostar joins the main sequence?
When the protostar starts fusing hydrogen, it enters the “main sequence” phase of its life. Stars on the main sequence are those that are fusing hydrogen into helium in their cores. The radiation and heat from this reaction keep the force of gravity from collapsing the star during this phase of the star’s life.
What comes after a protostar?
The stage of stellar evolution may last for between 100,000 and 10 million years depending on the size of the star being formed. If the final result is a protostar with more than 0.08 solar masses, it will go on to begin hydrogen burning and will join the main sequence as a normal star.
What critical event transforms a protostar into a normal main sequence star?
What critical event transforms a protostar into a normal main-sequence star? Nuclear fusion begins in the core.
How a protostar becomes a star?
A protostar becomes a main sequence star when its core temperature exceeds 10 million K. This is the temperature needed for hydrogen fusion to operate efficiently. Collapse into a star like our Sun takes about 50 million years. The collapse of a very high mass protostar might take only a million years.