Why do stars explode when they run out of fuel?

We find out what happens when a star uses up all of its fuel Inside, nuclear reactions fuse together smaller elements, like hydrogen, to create bigger ones and release energy. Eventually the star will run out of its essential fuel entirely, resulting in its explosive end.

Do Stars die when they run out of fuel?

When a main sequence star begins to run out of hydrogen fuel, the star becomes a red giant or a red super giant. The white dwarf eventually runs out of fuel and dies as a black dwarf. THE DEATH OF A HIGH MASS STAR A dying red super giant star can suddenly explode. The explosion is called a supernova.

How do stars not run out of fuel?

It does not run out of fuel altogether. Stars start their lives with hydrogen and helium. They burn the hydrogen to make helium. Then they burn helium to make oxygen and carbon.

What happens if a star doesn’t explode?

In massive stars, neutrons slowly convert the iron nuclei with which the star was born into heavier elements such as yttrium and zirconium. But if the stars never explode, these elements fall into the black hole, depriving the galaxies of the stars’ full chemical progeny.

Why do stars expand as they age?

As the core heats up, it holds off gravity for a while longer. This allows the star to start fusing Helium into Carbon and Oxygen. This build up of heat expands the outer layers of the star and they expand outward, causing a star like our sun to become a Red Giant.

Why do dying stars expand?

As the core contracts, it heats up. This heats the upper layers, causing them to expand. As the outer layers expand, the radius of the star will increase and it will become a red giant. The upper layers will expand and eject material that will collect around the dying star to form a planetary nebula.

How do stars have so much fuel?

Stars on the main sequence burn by fusing hydrogen into helium. Large stars tend to have higher core temperatures than smaller stars. Therefore, large stars burn the hydrogen fuel in the core quickly, whereas, small stars burn it more slowly.