Name______Class______Date______Skills Worksheet Graphing Skills
Line Graphs and the Surface Temperature of Stars Astronomers can determine the temperature of individual stars based on their color. The surface temperature of stars increases as you move across the spectrum from red to blue, as shown in the table below.
STAR COLOR VERSUS TEMPERATURE Star color Surface temperature (C) Red less than 3,500 Orange 3,500–5,000 Yellow 5,000–6000 Yellow-white 6,000–7500 White 7,500–10,000 Blue-white 10,000–30,000 Blue above 30,000 These data can be plotted as a line graph to create a visual display, as shown in the line graph below. The x-axis was chosen for star color to show the increase in surface temperature as you move across the spectrum from red to blue. Temperature is on the y-axis. The low end of each temperature range was plotted on the graph. The arbitrary value of 3000 °C was chosen for red.
Original content Copyright © Holt McDougal. All rights reserved. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor. Holt McDougal Earth Science 27 Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe Name______Class______Date______
Graphing Skills continued
PRACTICE Use the line graph on the previous page to answer the following questions. 1. What is the low end of the range of surface temperatures for white stars? ______2. What is the low end of the range of surface temperatures for blue-white stars? ______3. What color of stars have a temperature of around 6,000 °C at the low end of their temperature range? ______4. What color of stars have a temperature of around 3,500 °C at the low end of their temperature range? ______5. Suppose you want to show the upper end of the temperature ranges for a few stars using a line graph. Use data from the table below to create your graph. Include a graph title as well as labels for the x- and y-axes.
STAR COLOR VERSUS TEMPERATURE Star color Surface temperature (C) Orange 5,000 Yellow 6,000 Yellow-white 7,500 White 10,000
Original content Copyright © Holt McDougal. All rights reserved. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor. Holt McDougal Earth Science 28 Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe