Which of these can a star become at the end of its evolution? Choose the three correct answers.

Question

a black hole
a supernova
a neutron star
a white dwarf
a brown dwarf

Answer 1

The three correct answers are:

1. A black hole: This is formed when a massive star collapses under its own gravitational force and forms a singularity, creating a region of spacetime with extreme gravitational attraction that nothing, not even light, can escape from.

2. A supernova: This occurs when a massive star undergoes a catastrophic explosion, expelling a vast amount of its material into space. The explosion releases an immense amount of energy, making the star briefly shine brighter than an entire galaxy.

3. A neutron star: This is formed when a massive star undergoes a supernova explosion and collapses, but not enough to form a black hole. The collapse results in a highly dense object composed primarily of neutrons, with a strong gravitational field.

A white dwarf and a brown dwarf are not outcomes of stellar evolution. A white dwarf is the hot, dense leftover core of a low or medium mass star after it has exhausted its nuclear fuel, while a brown dwarf is an object that is too small to sustain nuclear fusion and does not become a star.