Question

Gravitational potential energy released in core collapse

A) Gravitational potential energy increases during core collapse.
B) Gravitational potential energy remains constant during core collapse.
C) Gravitational potential energy is released as heat during core collapse.
D) Gravitational potential energy has no impact on core collapse.

Answer 1

Gravitational potential energy is released as heat during core collapse.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is C) Gravitational potential energy is released as heat during core collapse.

During core collapse, the potential energy stored in a star's core is converted into thermal energy (heat), causing the core to become hotter. The collapse of the core releases gravitational potential energy, which is then converted into heat energy as the inward-falling material collides and generates heat.

For example, when a gas cloud in space collapses due to gravitational attraction, the gravitational potential energy of the gas particles is converted into kinetic energy as they race towards the center of the cloud. As the cloud collapses into a tight ball, all the kinetic energy is thermalized through collisions, generating a hot ball of gas that eventually becomes a star..