Question

Which of the following statements describes the relationship between mass and the expected lifetime of a star? Larger stars undergo fusion reactions for longer periods than small stars. Medium-sized stars undergo fusion reactions for longer periods than larger or smaller stars. Smaller stars undergo fusion reactions for longer periods than large stars. A star's mass has no effect on how long it will undergo fusion reactions.

Answer 1

The answer is (a). Larger stars undergo longer fusion reactions than smaller stars.

Answer 2

The correct statement is that smaller stars undergo fusion reactions for longer periods than large stars.

Step-by-step explanation:

The small stars are the longest-lived stars, thus, they go through fusion reactions for a longer duration than in comparison to others. The mass of the large stars results in more reactions that ultimately lead to the formation of iron in its core. Once produced, the iron leads to a chain reaction that results in the formation of a supernova.

The medium stars also burn the fuel faster and ultimately do not possess enough energy to contain itself, and starts to expand until it runs out of fuel. However, the stars of smaller sizes can thrive for trillions of years by undergoing fusion reactions for a longer duration.