The _______ the star, the hotter it is.
The larger
The larger the star, the hotter it is.
The missing word in the sentence is "brighter."
To understand why brighter stars are hotter, we need to explore some basic concepts in astronomy. The brightness of a star refers to the amount of light it emits. Stars emit light because they undergo nuclear fusion, a process in which hydrogen atoms fuse together to form helium, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the form of light and heat.
The temperature of a star is directly related to its brightness. Hotter stars have a higher surface temperature, which causes them to emit more intense light. Conversely, cooler stars have a lower surface temperature, resulting in less intense light.
Scientists use a classification system called the spectral type to categorize stars based on their temperature. The spectral type is denoted by a letter, with O being the hottest and M being the coolest. So, within this classification system, the brightest stars are typically classified as O or B stars, while the dimmest stars are usually classified as M stars.
Thus, in general, the brighter a star appears, the hotter it is likely to be.