A star with a mass of 0.4 solar masses has the longest main sequence lifetime.
The main sequence lifetime of a star is determined primarily by its mass. Stars with lower masses have longer main sequence lifetimes because they burn their fuel (hydrogen) at a slower rate than stars with higher masses.
As the mass of a star increases, its main sequence lifetime decreases. This is because higher-mass stars have stronger gravitational forces that compress their cores more, leading to a higher temperature and pressure that accelerates nuclear fusion. Consequently, higher-mass stars burn through their hydrogen fuel faster and have shorter main sequence lifetimes.
Therefore, out of the given options, the star with a mass of 0.4 solar masses is expected to have the longest main sequence lifetime since it has the lowest mass.
Which of the following stars has the longest main sequence lifetime?
Group of answer choices
a star with a mass of 0.4 solar masses
a star with a mass of 1.2 solar masses
a star with a mass of 0.5 solar masses
a star with a mass of 3 solar masses
and why?
1 answer