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

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks about the heaviest element that can be formed in the core of a star during its normal fusion processes.
Option 1: Carbon. While carbon is produced in stars through fusion (e.g., triple-alpha process from helium), it is not the heaviest element formed in the core; stars fuse beyond helium up to heavier nuclei but stop at iron in their hydrostatic core burning.
Option 2: Uranium. Uranium is far heavier and is not formed in the sustained fusion reactions occurring in stellar cores. Its creation requires extremely high-energy environments like supernovae or neutron star mergers, not the stable burning stages inside typical stellar cores.
Option 3: Helium. Helium is one of the first products of stellar fusion (hydrogen burning via the proton-proton chain or CNO cycle), but it is not the heaviest element formed in the core; stars continue fusing heavier elements beyond helium as they evolve, up to iron.
Option 4: Iron. In stellar cores, fusion reactions proceed up to iron (specifically iron-56) because creating elements heavier than iron without additional energy input would absorb energy rather than release it. This makes iron the heaviest element that can be formed by in-core fusion during the normal life of a star. Heavier elements require more violent events (like supernovae) or different processes to form. Therefore, this option correctly identifies the upper limit of in-core fusion in stars.

ASTR-1-45046-F25 Lecture: The Stellar Circle of Life

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

查看解析

登录即可查看完整答案

类似问题

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 process produced carbon and iron?

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?

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?

更多留学生实用工具

考试浏览器助手

风格化写作助手

论文查重助手

文献引用助手

课堂转译助手

课堂笔记助手

Quiz搜索助手

学校历年真题

智能刷题助手

智能匹配练习

希望你的学习变得更简单