The following statements accurately describe the death of stars:
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A star’s final stages of life depend on its mass. - This is true. The mass of a star determines its evolutionary path and the outcomes of its death (e.g., white dwarf, neutron star, black hole).
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Stars die when they run out of fuel. - This is also true. Stars generate energy through nuclear fusion, and once they exhaust their nuclear fuel, they can no longer sustain their nuclear reactions.
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When a star starts to die, its core expands. - This is generally true for stars that are going through the red giant phase. As the core becomes denser and hotter, it can lead to the outer layers expanding.
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The outer portion of the star contracts. - This statement can be somewhat misinterpreted; during the dying process, particularly for stars in the red giant phase, the outer layers can expand, but as the star progresses through later stages (like when it becomes a white dwarf), the outer layers can contract.
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All stars become black holes when they die. - This is false. Not all stars end up as black holes; only the most massive stars do. Less massive stars end their lives as white dwarfs or neutron stars.
Based on the above explanations, the following statements correctly describe the death of stars:
- A star’s final stages of life depend on its mass.
- Stars die when they run out of fuel.
- When a star starts to die, its core expands.
(Note that the statement about outer portions contracting might require context to be accurate, depending on the specific phase of the star's death being discussed.)