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) A few massive stars will form, live, and die before the majority of the star's clusters even complete their protostar stage.
B) All the stars in the cluster will be of about the same mass.
C) All the stars in the cluster will become main-sequence stars at about the same time.
D) All the stars in the cluster will have approximately the same luminosity and surface temperature.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a large molecular cloud that will give birth to a cluster of stars, there will be a range of masses for the protostars that form. The more massive protostars will evolve more quickly and become main-sequence stars earlier than the lower mass protostars. Therefore, it is likely that a few massive stars will form, evolve, and die before the majority of the stars in the cluster even complete their protostar stage.

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