What happens to the energy output rate for a star that is significantly more massive than the Sun?
Answer
It burns its nuclear fuel at an exponentially higher rate
A star that is substantially more massive than the Sun must operate its core under significantly higher pressure and temperature conditions to support its greater weight against gravity. This intense core environment drives nuclear fusion reactions that generate energy at an exponentially accelerated rate, leading to much greater luminosity. This rapid energy generation is responsible for making the massive star bright and inflated, but the corresponding swift consumption of its hydrogen fuel guarantees a much shorter evolutionary path away from the stable main sequence phase.
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