Classification of Stars A level Physics

This is a lesson I used myself to teach the Classification of Stars concept of the Astronomy Unit - A level Physics, AQA specification.

Learning objective: To understand how the Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram classifies stars by temperature and luminosity, and to explain what the diagram reveals about star types, sizes, and lifetimes.

By the end of the lesson learners should be able to:

Success criteria:

SC1 – Knowledge
I can describe what the axes of the HR diagram represent and where the main groups of stars are found (main sequence, red giants, white dwarfs).

SC2 – Application
I can explain why different types of stars appear in specific regions of the HR diagram using temperature, luminosity, and radius.

SC3 – Reasoning/Mastery
I can use the HR diagram to compare the properties and lifetimes of stars (e.g., placing a new star on the diagram and interpreting what it tells us).

Contains past paper questions that target this topic, some questions require knowledge from prior lessons. The mark scheme is also included to verify answers.

Powerpoint contains 32 slides and 11 past paper questions.