The Life Cycle of a Star – GCSE Physics Revision

This tutorial explains the life cycle of a star from how it is formed to what happens when it runs out of fusion fuel.

A star’s life cycle starts with a protostar – an increasingly hot ball of gas and dust which is pulled inwards by gravity.

Once the protostar becomes hot enough, fusion can take place and the star is born. The outwards pressure due to the energy created in the fusion process balances the inwards gravitational force. A star can continue for several billions of years in this ‘main sequence’ state.

Once the star runs out of hydrogen fuel, it will start to fuse heavier elements. The star expands, becoming a red giant, or a red super giant, depending on the initial mass of the star. Eventually, it will form a white dwarf, neutron star or black hole – again, all depending on the star’s initial mass.

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