IGCSE›Oxford AQA IGCSE Physics›Mind mapsLife Cycle of a StarOxford AQA IGCSE Physics: Mind mapStudy pack PDFAlso for this subtopic:Revision notesFlashcardsSubtopic testCover factsFormationGravity pulls dust and gas togetherMainly hydrogen and heliumCloud contracts and heats upEnough mass → core starts fusionMain sequenceHydrogen fuses into heliumStable for billions of yearsInward gravity balances outward fusion forceMore mass → hotter core, heavier nucleiSun-like starMain sequence → red giantRed giant → white dwarfWhite dwarf → black dwarfBlack dwarf no longer emits lightLife of a starbirth to deathHHeFeMassive starMain sequence → red supergiantSupergiant → supernovaSupernova → neutron star or black holeFuses helium to carbon, then heavierElementsUp to iron made by normal fusionHeavier than iron only in a supernovaSupernovae spread elements through the universeExam tipsStability: gravity balanced by fusion forceNot all stars end as black holes