How the Universe Works: Supernova Video Guide

Name ____________________________________ Date _________________ Period _______________
How the Universe Works: Supernova
Video Guide
Complete this video guide as you watch the movie “How the Universe Works: Supernova.” All
questions are in order of the movie.
1. A supernova is the most violent ____________________________ of a star.
2. Our Sun won’t become a supernova because its too ___________________________.
3. The Sun is a nuclear reactor that fuses hydrogen atoms into helium and energy. Helium fuses
into carbon, carbon into oxygen. When small stars begin to make ___________________,
they begin to ______________________.
4. Pressure pushes _________________ and gravity pushes _________________.
5. When energy is no longer produced in the core of the star, _________________ crushes the
star. The outer layers of the star expand outwards, producing a _______________________.
6. The center of a Red Giant is crushed by ___________________ into a dense ball of oxygen
and carbon. This is known as a ___________________________________.
7. Carbon and oxygen are fused together in a white dwarf to produce ____________________.
8. All materials on Earth are produced from _______________________________________.
9. The more massive a star is, the _________________________________ it will burn its fuel.
10. All elements larger that iron are formed when a massive star _________________________.
11. The corpse of a massive star is known as a _______________________________________.
12. A supernova can leave behind a ________________________, _______________________,
or a ___________________________. The fate of the supernova core depends of the size of
the original star.
Unit 2 How the Universe Works: Supernova 1
Name ____________________________________ Date _________________ Period _______________
13. A star that is 100 times larger than the Sun creates a ____________________________.
Exploding hypernovas produce ______________________ bursts.
14. Gravity crushes the core of a hypernova into a ____________________________.
15. A _________________________ carries 99% of the energy produced by an exploding
supernova.
16. When gravity crushes the core just before a supernova explodes, atoms break apart producing
___________________________.
17. Double star type 1A supernova help to measure the Universe. The ___________________
away the type 1A supernova is, the _______________________________ it is.
18. Contrary to popular belief, the Universe is __________________________ and
____________________________. This is caused by ______________________________.
http://www.seasky.org/celestial-objects/assets/images/starlife.jpg
Unit 2 How the Universe Works: Supernova 2
Name ____________________________________ Date _________________ Period _______________
Wrap-up questions:
1. How does mass determine a star’s evolution (fate)?
2. How is the lifetime of a star dependent on its mass?
3. Why do only massive stars enrich the Universe with heavy elements?
4. How would the Universe be different if massive stars did not explode at the end of their
lives?
5. Is there a balance between pressure and gravity in most stars? If not, which is stronger?
Explain.
Unit 2 How the Universe Works: Supernova 3
Name ____________________________________ Date _________________ Period _______________
6. Is there a balance between pressure and gravity in a black hole? If not, which is stronger?
Explain.
7. Compare a supernova, a neutron star, and a pulsar.
8. What created the birth of our Universe?
9. What is causing our Universe to expand at an increasing speed?
10. What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency?
11. Explain the Doppler effect. What is redshift? Blueshift?
Unit 2 How the Universe Works: Supernova 4