Does gravity act to make a star star smaller or larger?
2007-10-10 17:27:44 · 6 answers · asked by Carlos 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Gravity makes a star smaller.
Gravity causes a star to form by causing it to compress to the point where the Hydrogen begins to fuse into Helium. Thereafter, the Hydrogen fusion creates enough heat to prevent the star from collapsing further, but if the heat source went away, the star would continue to collapse.
If you are interested in what gravity can eventually do to a star, you should research Black Holes, Neutron Stars and Super Novas
2007-10-10 17:35:48 · answer #1 · answered by Frst Grade Rocks! Ω 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are two types of stars.
The first massive stars that were formed completely by gravity and the quantum effect.
And stars like our sun that are formed by the dynamics caused by the debris of a super nova and ultimately gravity.
The original stars were massive,20 solar masses or more and the secondary stars [our sun] 3 or 4 solar masses or less.
2007-10-11 10:33:40 · answer #2 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gravity pulls the mass of the star inwards towards the center of the star, so in effect it would work to make it smaller
2007-10-11 00:37:43 · answer #3 · answered by andrsj3 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gravity helps in that the star doesn't just expel all of it's mass. So in essence it is making it smaller.
But not really.
Physics is fun.
2007-10-11 00:30:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it depend if star is so big gravity does nothing but if its big but so old and its dying the gravity compress the star to make energy!!!! just like what is happening on jupiter.
2007-10-11 05:54:23 · answer #5 · answered by AMIR 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mass and density have a lot to do with it.
2007-10-11 00:36:21 · answer #6 · answered by Awesome Bill 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋