How is the life cycle of a star related to its mass?

The life cycle of a star is directly related to its mass.

Stars are born from clouds of gas and dust, called nebulae. Gravity causes the nebula to contract, forming a protostar. The mass of the protostar determines its fate. If the protostar's mass is less than 0.08 solar masses, it becomes a brown dwarf and never ignites nuclear fusion. If the protostar's mass is between 0.08 and 0.4 solar masses, it becomes a red dwarf and burns hydrogen slowly for billions of years.

If the protostar's mass is greater than 0.4 solar masses, it becomes a main sequence star, like our sun. The star fuses hydrogen into helium in its core, releasing energy and creating an outward pressure that balances the inward pull of gravity. The more massive the star, the hotter and brighter it is, and the faster it burns through its fuel.

When a main sequence star exhausts its hydrogen fuel, it begins to fuse helium into heavier elements. The star expands into a red giant, then sheds its outer layers to form a planetary nebula. The core of the star, now a white dwarf, cools over billions of years.

If the star is more massive than 8 solar masses, it undergoes a supernova explosion at the end of its life. The core collapses into a neutron star or black hole, while the outer layers are ejected into space. The elements created in the supernova enrich the interstellar medium, providing the raw material for future generations of stars.