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If the force of gravity crushing a star in weren't balanced, it would collapse. The outward-pushing force counteracting gravity is the energy produced in nuclear fusion, when the heat and pressure inside of stars smashes atoms together.
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What forces are opposing one another throughout the life of a star and how do they influence the various stages in the life cycle of a star?
During stellar evolution, gravity and stars battle with each other thought the entire lifespan of a star. Because gravity is a force that causes two particles to pull toward each other it constantly tries to collapse a star, the gas pressure of the star pushes the star outward and gravity fails in this aspect. The biggest majority of a stars life, gas pressure and gravity cohabitate in such a way that a star does not collapse under gravity or disintegrate due to gas pressure, until the end of the stars existence. When a star dies it is because of the stars mass. Stars all have different mass and because of such, low, medium and large mass stars all have very different life spans. A star that has a low mass will live longer than the other stars and can live a span of a trillion years. The stars that live this long are considered main sequence stars which means they are a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appear on plots of stellar color versus brightness. When the stars age, they begin to cool off and turn into a white dwarf star, then later to a black dwarf star. The Sun is considered a medium mass star and is believed to be able to live over 15 billion years. Medium mass stars, will spend the first 8 to 10 billion years of their lives as main sequence stars. The star needs to be fueled with hydrogen so when a medium sized star runs out of hydrogen, it will begin to burn helium, then they become red giants. As the star becomes unsteady, the outside shell of the star begins to come off and those pieces make their way out into space which makes a planetary nebula. As that medium star disintegrates, it eventually becomes a white dwarf which eventually cools off into a black dwarf. The stars that have the shortest lives are the large mass stars. Stars of this size turn into a hyper giant or a super-giant as they get older because they become so unbalanced that they begin to tear apart or blow up, becoming a supernova. When the large explosion takes place, it will leave a neutron star or a black hole behind as the large mass stars can cause a very large explosion.
What two things form a star?
One could say talent and a lot of practice. :-) The real answer begins with a force that triggers the process. From Wikipedia: "The formation of a star begins with a gravitational instability inside a molecular cloud, often triggered by shock waves from supernovae (massive stellar explosions) or the collision of two galaxies (as in a starburst galaxy). Once a region reaches a sufficient density of matter to satisfy the criteria for Jeans Instability it begins to collapse under its own gravitational force." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star The second thing is the accumulation of sufficient mass to form a star. Estimates vary on the minimum mass, but it's at least 75 times the mass of Jupiter. With that criterion met, gravitational collapse results in heat through compression of the gases. When the heat is sufficient to initiate nuclear fusion, a star is born.
What role did gravity play in the formation of the planets?
Gravity, of course has a central role in formation of planets. It's believed that the planets origin can be traced to the debris swirling around a young star. The term used for coming together of particles or bodies and joining together is 'accretion'. Gravity is the reason behind accretion . Small debris join together due to accretion and this accretion occurs further to give rise to larger and larger bodies like planets . Without gravity, this could never have occurred.
A system of stars held together by gravity?
A sun or a star is a glowing ball of gas held together by gravity. A sun holds together a solar system of planets, so that may be the answer you are looking for.
Is it possible for an object to receive a larger impulse from a small force than from a large force?
Impulse is the integral of force with respect to time. The impulse is equal to the change of momentum.Momentum = mass x change in velocity.Force = mass x accelerationTherefore, momentum = F x v /aTherefore, a small force applied for a long time can produce the same momentum change as a large force applied briefly.After all that, the answer is yes if the time period is longer.
When Inside a star the force of gravity is balanced by the?
It is balanced by radiation pressure, and gas pressure.
Are gravity and pressure balanced or not balanced?
In the case of a star (that is not actually going nova or supernova) they are balanced.
What is the force that keep a main sequence star from blowing apart?
The force of gravity. This is the only significant inner force in any star.
What is the force opisit of gravity?
There is no force opposite to gravity (except in a star where the light pressure from the fusion in the core holds the star up against gravity).
What is the inward force that holds a star together?
Gravity, the force of attraction between all masses in the universe, is the inward force that holds a star together.
When a star's inward gravity and outward pressure are balance the star is said to be?
Hydrostatic equilibrium occurs when compression due to gravity is balanced by a pressure gradient which creates a pressure gradient force in the opposite direction. The balance of these two forces is known as the hydrostatic balance.
Why does the force that pulls you towards the center of a planet or star?
Gravity.
What is the inward force acting on a star?
Gravity.
What force creates a star?
Gravity is the force that causes stars to be created
What is the force that pulls you towards a planet or star?
gravity
What does the equilibruim between the outward pressures of radiaion and the force of gravity do?
While the star can produce energy, that keeps the star in balance - it keeps the star from collapsing. By the way, another outward force is the gas pressure, but that, by itself, is not enough to counteract the force of gravity in the case of a star.
What does the equilibrium between the outward pressures of radiation and the force of gravity do?
"While the star can produce energy, that keeps the star in balance - it keeps the star from collapsing. By the way, another outward force is the gas pressure, but that, by itself, is not enough to counteract the force of gravity in the case of a star."
