1. Explain the difference between apparent and an absolute magnitude.
2. Using the H – R diagram on page 143:
a) What is the temperature rang of white dwarfs?
b) What is the range for absolute magnitude for super giants?
c) Give a description of the Sun using the info on the diagram.
3. What 2 forces keep a main sequence star stable?
4. What is the relationship between the colour of a star + the temperature?
5. Find one star that interests you and give some characteristics of it:
Answers:
1. Apparent Magnitude is the star’s brightness as it appears from earth. absolute magnitude is the apparent brightness of a star if viewed from a distance of 32.6 light years away.
2.
a) 4400 – 9430
b) -7.5 – -5
c) The sun has a temperature near 5700 degrees Celsius and Absolute magnitude of +4
3. Gravity and Nuclear Fusion
4. The temperature of a star is reflected by the colour. The hotter the star is the bluer is it. The cooler the redder.
5. The Sun. It is about 1 million km wide and is 4.5 billion years old, but when it grows older it will no longer be the size of an average yellow sun.