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Why are all elements heavier then iron created during a supernova?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
The rapid collapse of the star compresses atoms together and may cause nuclear fusion and make heavier elements.
Lewis Streich
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe simple answer is that elements heavier than iron are formed by fusion, and the fusion reactions necessary to form elements heavier than iron are endothermic. That means energy must be put into the fusion reaction to create these heavier elements. With the exothermic reactions that make iron and less heavy elements, the energy to continue the fusion reactions comes from the earlier reactions. That's what powers stars. But there is insufficient energy to create the trans-iron elements in "regular" fusion. It takes lots of "extra" energy to create the trans-iron elements, and when a star collapses to become a supernova, a lot of "extra" energy is suddenly available to support the fusion to create the trans-iron elements.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agobecause they can't be created by fusion in stars
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoThis is related to the huge temperatures achieved in a supernova explosion. This makes it possible to create heavy elements, which requires a lot of energy.
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Why are supernovas important to the existence of life on earth?
Supernovae are when very massive stars finally come to the end of their life. They are important events as during the very short period in which the explosion occurs, temperatures and pressures are sufficient to fuse atoms, making heavier elements. Any elements with a nucleus heavier than the iron nucleus would have had to be formed during a supernova explosion.
Were Most of the elements heavier than helium made during the first few minutes after the big bang?
According to the big bang hypothesis, hydrogen was the only element created after the big bang. Within the first few minutes, the temperature was hot enough for fusion to occur, enabling helium, lithium and a few other elements to be created. After about 3 minutes, the Universe cooled sufficiently, for this process to halt. It was not until about 500,000 million years later, when the first stars went supernova, that heavier elements were seeded into the Universe.
What elements are formed during a nova or supernova?
It is the elements heavier than iron that are formed in a supernova. All the heavier elements up through uranium appear when a star of sufficient mass collapses in a supernova event. These heavier elements, sometimes referred to as the trans-iron elements, appear in the collapse of a massive star. In this catastrophic event, the iron and silicon (and any other lighter elements) in the star are super compressed. The already hot conditions are made even hotter, and the available energy is sufficient to drive the fusion reactions that create the trans-iron elements.All the fusion reactions up through those that create iron are exothermic, and that means they release energy. The fusion reactions that create the trans-iron elements are endothermic, and that means energy has to be put into them. Only in the collapse of a star of sufficient mass is there enough energy to drive the fusion reactions that produce the trans-iron elements.See periodic table (iron is number 26).See related link.
Why can't a star fuse chemical elements beyond iron?
It sure can - and some stars do, to a minor degree. However, it can no longer gain energy from this fusion - it costs energy to create heavier elements. --- To fuse Iron, you would need a huge amount of heat and pressure, higher than what can be provided by even the massive stars is existence. The upper limit of a stars mass puts this limit on what materials it can fuse. Elements heavier than Iron are created during a supernova explosion, the death of a massive star.
What is the stuff that comes out of a star during a supernova?
Gases, materials, and elements that come from the Periodic Table.
Where did all the elements come from?
Hydrogen, some helium and less lithium are the result of the big bang. All the other elements are made inside the cores of stars, except for elements heavier than iron. All elements heavier than iron are created during supernova explosions.
Why are supernovas important to the existence of life on earth?
Supernovae are when very massive stars finally come to the end of their life. They are important events as during the very short period in which the explosion occurs, temperatures and pressures are sufficient to fuse atoms, making heavier elements. Any elements with a nucleus heavier than the iron nucleus would have had to be formed during a supernova explosion.
Where are the heaviest nuclei of all formed?
Elements heavier than iron are formed through the fusion reaction in stars when a supernova occurs. The lighter elements up through iron are formed in "regular" stellar fusion, and this is what powers most stars throughout their lives. A lot of energy is created in the fusion reactions, and this is why stars "burn" the way they do. But after iron, fusion switches from exothermic to endothermic. That means energy must be put into the fusion reaction to create these heavier elements, and only when a super abundance of energy is available, like during the collapse of a star in a supernova, is there sufficient energy to drive those fusion reactions. All the trans-iron elements up through uranium are created in the supernova.
Were Most of the elements heavier than helium made during the first few minutes after the big bang?
According to the big bang hypothesis, hydrogen was the only element created after the big bang. Within the first few minutes, the temperature was hot enough for fusion to occur, enabling helium, lithium and a few other elements to be created. After about 3 minutes, the Universe cooled sufficiently, for this process to halt. It was not until about 500,000 million years later, when the first stars went supernova, that heavier elements were seeded into the Universe.
What elements are formed during a nova or supernova?
It is the elements heavier than iron that are formed in a supernova. All the heavier elements up through uranium appear when a star of sufficient mass collapses in a supernova event. These heavier elements, sometimes referred to as the trans-iron elements, appear in the collapse of a massive star. In this catastrophic event, the iron and silicon (and any other lighter elements) in the star are super compressed. The already hot conditions are made even hotter, and the available energy is sufficient to drive the fusion reactions that create the trans-iron elements.All the fusion reactions up through those that create iron are exothermic, and that means they release energy. The fusion reactions that create the trans-iron elements are endothermic, and that means energy has to be put into them. Only in the collapse of a star of sufficient mass is there enough energy to drive the fusion reactions that produce the trans-iron elements.See periodic table (iron is number 26).See related link.
What is Aluminum caused by the big bang?
It is believed that right after the Big Bang, some of the normal hydrogen fused to deuterium, helium, and perhaps a small amount of lithium. No significant amounts of heavier elements was produced during the Big Bang. Most helium, as well as metals (i.e., anything heavier than helium) are the result of nuclear fusion in stars; the heavier elements are the result of supernova explosions.
Where was gold created?
Basically, it was all made when the Earth was created Gold is an element, so it isn't 'created' by the Earth. It exists in the Earth, and has been there since the Earth was formed. Gold can only be created through nuclear reactions. It happens during supernovas. Like all elements heavier than iron, gold was created by the fusion of smaller elements during a massive star's supernova explosion. Most gold formed this way quickly decayed back to stable smaller elements, however some were already stable at formation. These elements stay suspended as dust in space till the process of star and planetary formation cause these elements to eventually condense forming our planet.
Why can't a star fuse chemical elements beyond iron?
It sure can - and some stars do, to a minor degree. However, it can no longer gain energy from this fusion - it costs energy to create heavier elements. --- To fuse Iron, you would need a huge amount of heat and pressure, higher than what can be provided by even the massive stars is existence. The upper limit of a stars mass puts this limit on what materials it can fuse. Elements heavier than Iron are created during a supernova explosion, the death of a massive star.
What is the stuff that comes out of a star during a supernova?
Gases, materials, and elements that come from the Periodic Table.
Where are common elements made?
All elements past hydrogen are formed in stars. During the main stage of stars life, it fuses hydrogen into helium. Once it runs out of Helium to fuse, it begins fusing Helium into heavier elements. This continues until iron is formed. Iron gains no energy from fusion, so fusion stops. If the star is massive enough, it will explode in a supernova. The extreme heat can cause the iron to fuse into even heavier elements.
What element in a star cannot fuse?
It sure can - and some stars do, to a minor degree. However, it can no longer gain energy from this fusion - it costs energy to create heavier elements. --- To fuse Iron, you would need a huge amount of heat and pressure, higher than what can be provided by even the massive stars is existence. The upper limit of a stars mass puts this limit on what materials it can fuse. Elements heavier than Iron are created during a supernova explosion, the death of a massive star.
How did the element of gold form in the universe?
Gold, and all the other elements heavier than carbon, were formed by nuclear fusion in the centers of stars during supernova explosions. When a very massive star explodes in a supernova, the core of the star is crushed into a black hole, and the rest of the star is blown away out into space. Billions of years later, the dust condenses in a new planetary nebula and becomes part of a planet.
