Question
What causes supernova?
A. Energy of heat
B. Force of gravity
C. Energy of a nebula
D. Force of a nebula
A. Energy of heat
B. Force of gravity
C. Energy of a nebula
D. Force of a nebula
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is **B. Force of gravity**.
Supernovae typically occur in two primary scenarios:
1. **Type I Supernova**: This happens in a binary star system where one star is a white dwarf. If the white dwarf accumulates enough mass from its companion star (exceeding the Chandrasekhar limit), gravity causes it to collapse and lead to a runaway nuclear reaction, resulting in a supernova explosion.
2. **Type II Supernova**: This occurs in massive stars (generally more than 8 times the mass of the Sun) at the end of their life cycle. When the core of such a star exhausts its nuclear fuel, gravity causes the core to collapse, leading to a catastrophic explosion.
In both cases, the force of gravity plays a crucial role in triggering the events that lead to a supernova.
Supernovae typically occur in two primary scenarios:
1. **Type I Supernova**: This happens in a binary star system where one star is a white dwarf. If the white dwarf accumulates enough mass from its companion star (exceeding the Chandrasekhar limit), gravity causes it to collapse and lead to a runaway nuclear reaction, resulting in a supernova explosion.
2. **Type II Supernova**: This occurs in massive stars (generally more than 8 times the mass of the Sun) at the end of their life cycle. When the core of such a star exhausts its nuclear fuel, gravity causes the core to collapse, leading to a catastrophic explosion.
In both cases, the force of gravity plays a crucial role in triggering the events that lead to a supernova.