Are stars the same as the sun or just common in their makeup?

Question

just a debate between my girlfriend and i

Answer 1

Depending on what stage they are in, stars can be made up differently. The sun is in a fairly common stage, that of fusing hydrogen to produce helium. When the sun's hydrogen fuel is used up, it will expand into a red giant while the core shrinks, gaining heat and pressure until it is able to fuse its helium into heavier elements. The outer layers of the giant may then be thrown off to produce a planetary nebula.

In short, stars are not always of the same makeup as the sun, but stars similar to the sun are fairly common. I've attached a link to a brief article on stellar evolution.

Answer 2

Neither. There are several different categories of stars based on color, mass, and chemical make-up. Our star is a "middle of the road" main-sequence yellow dwarf (some say it's "green" based on its spectrum, but it's a fairly academic distinction). Some stars are rich in heavy metals, some are very metal-poor.

The mass of a star will also determine its future. Stars like the sun will turn into a red giant and eventually just peter out, possibly forming a planetary nebula. The most massive stars die in supernovas, leaving neutron stars or black holes in their wake.

Answer 3

The sun is a yellow star. It is identical to any other yellow star around. There are also lots of other kinds of stars, which are different from the sun. But the sun is considered to be a star.