It is hypothesized that carbon and silicon could form the “backbone” of DNA. Using the figure below, which of the following scenarios might lead to a star system that has more silicon than carbon?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To tackle this question, let's think about how elements like carbon and silicon get into the interstellar medium from generations of stars.
Option 1: 'It formed near low-mass stars, but no high-mass stars.' Low-mass stars do contribute carbon later in their lifetimes, but the absence of high-mass stars means fewer supernovae that synthesize and eject silicon; this would not strongly favor silicon over carbon. So this choice is unlikely.
Option 2: 'It formed in proximity to many high-mass stars, but few low-mass stars.' High-mass stars end their lives in core-collapse supernovae, producing and dispersing alpha-process elements like silicon (Si) along with oxygen and magnesium. If a forming system is enriched by many such explosions and has few low-mass stars contributing carbon-rich material, the environment would accumulate more silicon relative to carbon. This aligns with the hypothesis about silicon enrichment.
Option 3: 'It is a binary star system.' Merely being a binary doesn't dictate the chemical makeup of the surrounding nebula; without information about the masses of the progenitors or their nucleosynthetic contributions, this doesn't explain silicon dominance.
Option 4: 'It formed from “raw” material from the Big Bang.' Big Bang material is mostly hydrogen and helium with trace lithium; it lacks significant amounts of silicon or carbon, so this would not yield a silicon-rich system.
Option 5: 'It formed near a large number of exploding white dwarf stars.' Exploding white dwarfs (Type Ia supernovae) mainly produce iron-peak elements rather than silicon in large excess relative to carbon, so this would not preferentially boost silicon over carbon. Therefore, this choice is not the best explanation for a silicon-rich backbone.
Overall, the reasoning points to Option 2 as the scenario that would likely result in a star system with more silicon than carbon due to enrichment from high-mass star supernovae and relatively less carbon input from low-mass stars.

EESC1120.01|.02 Summer 2025 Our Home Amongst the Cosmos [Kruckenberg] Week 6 Quiz

It is hypothesized that carbon and silicon could form the “backbone” of DNA. Using the figure below, which of the following scenarios might lead to a star system that has more silicon than carbon?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

A massive star goes supernova, creating a large nebula. This nebula eventually goes on to form a new set of stars. What can we say about the composition of this new set of stars compared to the one that went supernova?

What is the heaviest element that can be made in the core of a star?

What process produced carbon and iron?

Massive stars synthesize chemical elements going from helium up to iron

Where did the elements heavier than hydrogen and helium come from?

What elements are made in the core of the high-mass stars?

What is the CNO cycle?

What nuclear process is happening in the red giants?

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler