Official Answer Key & Detailed Solution
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Correct Answer: Option (D) — Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
Concept & Option Breakdown
Standard Reference VerifiedStatement-I is incorrect: Massive giant stars have shorter lifespans (typically millions of years) than dwarf stars (such as red dwarfs, which can live for billions to trillions of years) because they exhaust their nuclear fuel at a tremendously faster rate.
Statement-II is correct: The higher mass of giant stars creates immense core temperature and pressure, drastically accelerating the rate of nuclear fusion compared to low-mass dwarf stars.
A higher rate of nuclear reaction (Statement-II) means fuel is consumed faster, which directly contradicts a longer lifespan (Statement-I). Therefore, both cannot be simultaneously true as cause and effect.
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