As the cloud shrinks in size, its central temperature _______ as a result of _______.
Blank 1: increases
Blank 2: gravitational potential energy being converted to thermal energy
As the cloud shrinks in size, its gravitational potential energy decreases. Because energy cannot simply disappear, the "lost" gravitational potential energy must be converted into some other form. Some of it is converted into thermal energy, which raises the temperature of the gas cloud. The rest is mostly converted into radiative energy, which is released into space as light.