Lesson 10.2.1

10.2.1 Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and the life cycle of stars Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 10

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 10.2.1, Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and the life cycle of stars: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Physics (9PH0), Unit 10: Space, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. How is surface temperature represented on the horizontal axis of an HR diagram?

    • Increasing to right
    • Constant throughout
    • Decreasing upwards
    • Decreasing to right

  2. What process provides the primary energy source for a main sequence star?

    • Helium core fusion
    • Gravitational collapse
    • Carbon core fusion
    • Hydrogen core fusion

  3. What happens to a star's outer layers as it transitions into a red giant?

    • They expand and cool
    • They contract and heat
    • They contract and cool
    • They expand and heat

  4. What describes the fusion activity inside a white dwarf star?

    • Hydrogen fusion
    • Carbon fusion
    • No fusion occurs
    • Helium fusion

  5. Where on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is a star with high temperature and high luminosity located?

    • Bottom left
    • Bottom right
    • Top left
    • Top right

  6. Where on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram are red dwarfs located?

    • Bottom left
    • Bottom right
    • Top right
    • Top left

  7. Why can a star with a low surface temperature have a very high luminosity?

    • Very small radius
    • Very large radius
    • High density
    • Rapid rotation

  8. A star has the same surface temperature as the Sun but 100 times the Sun's luminosity. What is the ratio of its radius to the Sun's radius?

    • 100
    • 10
    • 1/10
    • 50

  9. A star has the same radius as the Sun but twice its surface temperature. How many times its luminosity?

    • 16 times
    • 8 times
    • 2 times
    • 4 times

  10. A star has radius 10 times the Sun's radius and surface temperature 3000 K, compared with the Sun at 5800 K. Approximately how does its luminosity compare with the Sun's?

    • about 1400 times
    • about 7 times
    • about 100 times
    • about 0.07 times

  11. How do luminosity and surface temperature change when a star becomes a red giant?

    • Luminosity rises, temperature rises
    • Luminosity falls, temperature falls
    • Luminosity falls, temperature rises
    • Luminosity rises, temperature falls

  12. Why do high-mass main sequence stars have shorter lifetimes than low-mass stars?

    • Lower core density
    • Lower core temperature
    • Higher fusion rate
    • Less hydrogen fuel

  13. Why are most observed stars located on the main sequence of the HR diagram?

    • Final evolutionary stage
    • Briefest stellar phase
    • Highest temperature phase
    • Longest evolutionary stage

  14. Why does a white dwarf have a low luminosity despite its high surface temperature?

    • High hydrogen fuel
    • Large surface area
    • Small surface area
    • Low core mass

  15. A star of radius 1.0 x 10^9 m has surface temperature 10000 K. What is its luminosity? Use σ = 5.67 x 10^-8 W m^-2 K^-4.

    • 7.1 x 10^27 W
    • 1.4 x 10^28 W
    • 7.1 x 10^25 W
    • 5.7 x 10^27 W

  16. Which properties place red giants in the top right of an HR diagram?

    • Low luminosity, high temperature
    • High luminosity, high temperature
    • Low luminosity, low temperature
    • High luminosity, low temperature

  17. What changes a star's position on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram as it evolves?

    • Mass and velocity
    • Charge and radius
    • Pressure and density
    • Luminosity and temperature

  18. Which change moves a star vertically upwards on an HR diagram at constant temperature?

    • Increasing its temperature
    • Increasing its radius
    • Decreasing its radius
    • Decreasing its luminosity

  19. What remnant can be left behind after a massive star undergoes a supernova?

    • Protostar
    • White dwarf
    • Neutron star
    • Red giant

  20. Why is a main sequence star more luminous than a red dwarf of equal radius?

    • Smaller surface area
    • Higher surface temperature
    • Lower surface temperature
    • Greater core mass

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