This diagram represents the life track of a 1-solar-mass star.Refer to the life stages labeled with Roman numerals.

-What will happen to the star after stage VIII?
A)Its outer layers will be ejected as a planetary nebula and its core will become a white dwarf.
B)It will continue to expand gradually until carbon fusion begins in its core.
C)It will explode as a supernova and leave a neutron star or black hole behind.
D)It will remain in stage VIII for about 10 billion years,after which its outer layers will shrink back and cool.

Question

This diagram represents the life track of a 1-solar-mass star.Refer to the life stages labeled with Roman numerals.
 
-What will happen to the star after stage VIII?
A)Its outer layers will be ejected as a planetary nebula and its core will become a white dwarf. 
B)It will continue to expand gradually until carbon fusion begins in its core. 
C)It will explode as a supernova and leave a neutron star or black hole behind. 
D)It will remain in stage VIII for about 10 billion years,after which its outer layers will shrink back and cool.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

After stage VIII, the star will enter the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase, during which it will expand and cool down. Eventually, the outer layers of the star will be ejected as a planetary nebula, leaving behind a hot, dense core that will become a white dwarf. This is the fate of low- to intermediate-mass stars like the one depicted in the diagram. Options B and C are not applicable to this type of star, and option D is incorrect because stage VIII (the red giant phase) only lasts a few hundred million years, not 10 billion years.

This Diagram Represents the Life Track of a 1-Solar-Mass Star