How do stars form?

stars begin as a giant cloud of gas which is also a protostar. gravity will pull the gas in on intelf which increases heat and pressure to such great quantities that nuclear fusion can begin. hydrogen is the first and simplest element so there is a lot of it present. under the great temperatures and pressures, the hydrgen nuclei of 2 different atoms will react and fuse together to form helium nuceli. this reaction will continue and later on heavier elemnts may be present like iron, oxygen and carbon. when the star runs out of hydrogen it may swell and become a red giant. if it is a small star, once all the elemnts are used up it will shrink into a dwarf star and eventually disappear. if its a large star it will swell and can explode in a supernova.

DC
Answered by Dhiren C. Physics tutor

1917 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Explanation of alpha scattering experiment


Describe how the forces change on a parachutist while they fall.


How does heat transfer through convection work?


Photons with 605 THz frequency strike metal of 1.2eV work function. Calculate the maximum energy of photoelectrons and their velocity. What amount of energy is necessary to stop all photoelectrons? (Planck's constant. electron mass and charge are given)


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning