Each stage of nuclear burning in 25 M _$\odot$ star is __________ in duration than in a star of 15 M _$\odot$ .

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The question mentions that both stars have the same initial mass of 25 MF2S2S2W1_F1F1F10. However, the second star has a lower case "f" as its last element, which stands for metallicity, or the amount of elements heavier than helium in the star. Since the second star has a lower metallicity, it means that it formed earlier in the universe when there were fewer heavy elements available. Lower metallicity results in less efficient nuclear burning and shorter durations for each stage of burning. Therefore, each stage of nuclear burning in the second star will be much shorter than in the first star.

Each Stage of Nuclear Burning in 25 M ⊙\odot⊙ Star Is __________ in Duration Than in a

Each Stage of Nuclear Burning in 25 M _$\odot$ Star Is __________ in Duration Than in a