The relationship between mass and luminosity of stars on the main sequence is that
A) the luminosity of stars rises to a peak at around a mass of 1 solar mass and decreases as mass increases beyond this limit.
B) the greater the stellar mass,the larger the luminosity.
C) luminosity is independent of the stellar mass.
D) the greater the stellar mass,the less the luminosity.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The greater the stellar mass, the larger the luminosity. This is because higher-mass stars have more fuel for nuclear fusion reactions, which produces more energy and therefore more luminosity. This relationship is evident on the main sequence of the H-R diagram, where the most massive stars are found at the top left and are the most luminous, while the least massive stars are found at the bottom right and have the lowest luminosity.

The Relationship Between Mass and Luminosity of Stars on the Main