Stars and the Universe · IGCSE Physics 0625 Simulation

About this lab: Stars and the Universe

Interactive simulation for Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 topic 6.2 Stars and the Universe: a cutaway Sun with its core, radiative and convective zones, the life cycle of a Sun-sized and a massive star stepped from nebula to white dwarf or supernova and black hole, the Milky Way with the Sun marked and a log-scale ladder of distances in light-years, the redshift of spectral lines from a galaxy at a chosen distance with Hubble's law and the age of the Universe, and an all-sky map of the cosmic microwave background with its temperature falling as the Universe expands.

IGCSE Physics 0625, topic 6.2. The Sun, the life cycle of stars, galaxies and light-years, redshift and the Big Bang, and the cosmic microwave background.

Stars and the Universe is a free, browser-based simulation for Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 (topic 6 Space physics, section 6.2 Stars and the Universe). The course is assessed in Papers 1 and 2 (multiple choice), 3 and 4 (theory), 5 (practical test) and 6 (alternative to practical). There are 5 tabs, each a self-contained experiment with its own controls and live readings, and nothing to install: it runs on a laptop, tablet or classroom projector.

Syllabus coverage

6.2.1 Know that the Sun is a star of medium size, consisting mostly of hydrogen and helium, and that it radiates most of its energy in the infrared, visible light and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum
6.2.1 Know that stars are powered by nuclear reactions that release energy and that in stable stars the nuclear reactions involve the fusion of hydrogen into helium (Supplement)
6.2.2 State that: (a) galaxies are each made up of many billions of stars (b) the Sun is a star in the galaxy known as the Milky Way (c) other stars that make up the Milky Way are much further away from the Earth than the Sun is from the Earth (d) astronomical distances can be measured in light-years, where one light-year is the distance travelled in (the vacuum of) space by light in one year
6.2.2 Know that one light-year is equal to 9.5 × 1015 m (Supplement)
6.2.2 Describe the life cycle of a star: (a) a star is formed from interstellar clouds of gas and dust that contain hydrogen (b) a protostar is an interstellar cloud collapsing and increasing in temperature as a result of its internal gravitational attraction (c) a protostar becomes a stable star when the inward force of gravitational attraction is balanced by an outward force due to the high temperature in the centre of the star (d) all stars eventually run out of hydrogen as fuel for the nuclear reaction (e) most stars expand to form red giants and more massive stars expand to form red supergiants when most of the hydrogen in the centre of the star has been converted to helium (f) a red giant from a less massive star forms a planetary nebula with a white dwarf star at its centre (g) a red supergiant explodes as a supernova, forming a nebula containing hydrogen and new heavier elements, leaving behind a neutron star or a black hole at its centre (h) the nebula from a supernova may form new stars with orbiting planets (Supplement)
6.2.3 Know that the Milky Way is one of many billions of galaxies making up the Universe and that the diameter of the Milky Way is approximately 100 000 light-years
6.2.3 Describe redshift as an increase in the observed wavelength of electromagnetic radiation emitted from receding stars and galaxies
6.2.3 Know that the light emitted from distant galaxies appears redshifted in comparison with light emitted on the Earth
Lessons on this topic: The Sun as a star (medium size, hydrogen and helium), Galaxies, the Milky Way, and light-years, Life cycle of a star: from protostar to black hole, Redshift and the Big Bang Theory, Cosmic microwave background and the Hubble constant.

Full syllabus map: IGCSE Physics 0625 topic 6.

How to use this simulation

1. The Sun.
2. Life cycle of a star.
3. Galaxies and light-years.
4. Redshift and the Big Bang.
5. Cosmic microwave background.
The buttons at the end of the tab strip give the scene the whole window (Full screen, Hide controls) and, on a dark stage, a projector-friendly palette (Light scene). Many scenes also have drag handles: drag them to change the set-up directly.

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