Consider a large molecular cloud that will give birth to a cluster of stars. Which of the following would you expect to be true?
A)All the stars in the cluster will be of about the same mass.
B)All the stars in the cluster will have approximately the same luminosity and surface temperature.
C)All the stars in the cluster will become main- sequence stars at about the same time.
D)A few massive stars will form, live, and die before the majority of the star's clusters even complete their protostar stage.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a large molecular cloud, the gravitational collapse will lead to the formation of protostars, and the competition for resources will result in the growth of some massive stars before their less-massive counterparts. The massive stars will evolve more quickly and die first, leaving the less-massive stars to continue their main-sequence evolution. Therefore, there will be a range of masses and evolutionary stages among the stars in the cluster. Choices A and B are ruled out because of this mass and luminosity variation, and choice C is incorrect because of the range of protostar ages and masses.

Consider a Large Molecular Cloud That Will Give Birth to a Cluster