An astrophysicist observes a massive main-sequence star with an initial mass of 30 M⊙30\,M_{\odot}30M⊙ (where M⊙M_{\odot}M⊙ is the solar mass).
Which of the following correctly describes the main-sequence lifetime of this star compared to the Sun, and its eventual evolutionary remnant?
It has a shorter main-sequence lifetime than the Sun, and eventually collapses to form a black hole because its remaining core mass exceeds 3 M⊙3\,M_{\odot}3M⊙.
It has a shorter main-sequence lifetime than the Sun, and eventually collapses to form a neutron star because its remaining core mass is between 1.4 M⊙1.4\,M_{\odot}1.4M⊙ and 3 M⊙3\,M_{\odot}3M⊙.
It has a longer main-sequence lifetime than the Sun, and eventually collapses to form a black hole because its remaining core mass exceeds 3 M⊙3\,M_{\odot}3M⊙.
It has a longer main-sequence lifetime than the Sun, and eventually collapses to form a neutron star because its remaining core mass is between 1.4 M⊙1.4\,M_{\odot}1.4M⊙ and 3 M⊙3\,M_{\odot}3M⊙.
42 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 7.3 Stars. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.