GCSE›AQA GCSE Physics›Mind mapsStars and the Life Cycle of StarsAQA GCSE Physics: Mind mapStudy pack PDFAlso for this subtopic:Revision notesFlashcardsSubtopic testCover factsBirthStar begins as a nebula of dust and gasGravity pulls it together into a protostarContracting cloud heats upHot, dense core starts fusionMain sequenceStar spends most of its life hereGravity balanced by outward fusion energyStable equilibrium lasting billions of yearsThe Sun is a main sequence starSun-like starsMain sequence, then red giantOuter layers shed, leaving a white dwarfWhite dwarf cools to a black dwarfLife of starsbirth to deathFeMassive starsMain sequence, then red super giantViolent explosion called a supernovaCore becomes a neutron star or black holeOnly the most massive cores form a black holeMaking elementsFusion in stars makes elements up to ironElements heavier than iron form only in a supernovaSupernova scatters elements across the universeExam tipsLearn both sequences in the correct orderNot all stars end as black holesFusion balances gravity: say both forces