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The mass of four stars relative to the sun is shown in the following table.

Mass of Stars
Star Mass (relative to the sun)
L 10x
M 2.5x
N 0.5x
O 15x

If all stars are viewed from the same distance in space, which star most likely has the lowest absolute brightness?
L
M
N
O

1 answer

The absolute brightness (or luminosity) of a star is related to its mass. Generally, more massive stars tend to be more luminous. According to the mass-luminosity relation, for main sequence stars, the luminosity is approximately proportional to the mass raised to a power (often around 3 to 4).

In the case of the stars you provided:

  • Star L: \(10x\)
  • Star M: \(2.5x\)
  • Star N: \(0.5x\)
  • Star O: \(15x\)

Among these stars, Star N has the lowest mass (0.5 times the mass of the sun). As a result of the mass-luminosity relationship, Star N is expected to have the lowest absolute brightness.

Thus, the star that most likely has the lowest absolute brightness is:

N