NAEP Science Grade 12

Category - Earth Science

When a star such as the Sun reaches a late stage of its life, it typically becomes a:
  1. Neutron star comprising the nuclei of fused iron and carbon atoms.
  2. White dwarf comprising mainly carbon and oxygen.
  3. Black hole produced by compression of the extremely dense core.
  4. Cepheid variable star produced by instability in the star's dying core.
Explanation
Correct Response: B. A main sequence star like the Sun becomes a white dwarf stellar remnant composed primarily of carbon and oxygen. The carbon and oxygen are produced by nuclear processes during the fusing of helium as the star leaves the main sequence and develops into a red giant. The remnant core of the red giant is a white dwarf. The Sun's mass is too low either to produce a supernova that would leave behind a neutron star (A) or to form a black hole (C). Classical Cepheid variables (D) are from four to twenty times as massive as the Sun, and youthful, and therefore could not form from a star like the Sun as it aged.
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