A single star in the process of forming starts by spinning slowly (while it is quite large and relatively cool.) As the star collapses under the pull of its own gravity, its size decreases. As a result, its rate of spinning:
A) will increase
B) will decrease
C) will stay the same
D) will either increase or decrease depending on the star's temperature
E) this question cannot be answered from the information we are given

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the conservation of angular momentum, the rate of spinning (angular velocity) of a spinning object increases as its size decreases. This is due to the conservation of angular momentum which states that the product of the moment of inertia and the angular velocity must be conserved. Therefore, as the star collapses and its size decreases, its moment of inertia decreases, causing its rate of spinning to increase.

A Single Star in the Process of Forming Starts by Spinning