Elements heavier than iron are formed in super-nova explosions.
Supernova form heavier elements
Elements heavier than hydrogen are formed through nuclear fusion processes in stars. When lighter elements fuse together in the intense heat and pressure within a star's core, they can form heavier elements. This process continues throughout a star's life until elements up to iron are created. Elements heavier than iron are formed through supernova explosions or in the collisions of neutron stars.
Chemical elements are formed in the Universe by stellar nucleosynthesis.
In cool stars, elements such as hydrogen and helium are primarily produced through nuclear fusion in their cores. Elements heavier than helium (e.g., carbon, oxygen, and iron) are formed through nucleosynthesis processes during the later stages of a star's lifecycle, such as in red giant stars or during supernova events.
Elements heavier than iron are formed through processes like supernova explosions, where the intense heat and pressure create conditions for nuclear fusion to occur, leading to the synthesis of heavier elements. This process is known as nucleosynthesis and is crucial for the creation of elements like gold, uranium, and beyond in the universe.
The heavier elements in the universe were primarily formed through processes such as stellar nucleosynthesis and supernova explosions. In stars, nuclear fusion combines lighter elements like hydrogen and helium into heavier elements up to iron. Elements heavier than iron are typically formed during supernovae, where the intense energy and neutron capture processes create these elements. Additionally, some heavy elements may also form through the merging of neutron stars.
Elements heavier than hydrogen and helium primarily formed in the cores of stars through nuclear fusion processes. Elements up to iron are formed in the cores of stars, while elements heavier than iron are typically produced in supernova explosions or neutron star mergers. These heavy elements are dispersed into space during these catastrophic events, enriching the interstellar medium from which new stars and planets can form.
A few elements past iron can form in the star by neutron capture and beta decay. However the majority can only be formed by the blast shockwave of a supernova, which can form elements significantly beyond Uranium.
Heavier elements are formed from hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, through a process called nuclear fusion. There are machines or structures in the universe that do this, and we call them stars. It is the process within stars, stellar nucleosynthesis, that allows heavier elements to be created up through iron. Elements heavier than iron are formed in supernova events. Use the links below to learn more.
Iron
Heavier elements like carbon, oxygen, and iron were formed in the cores of stars through nuclear fusion processes. When massive stars exhaust their fuel, they go supernova, releasing heavy elements into space. These elements then become part of new stars and planets, including Earth.
The elements on the periodic table were created by stars through nuclear fusion. We use the term stellar nucleosynthesis to describe what stars are doing through fusion. Stars fuse hydrogen into helium, and then start making heavier elements by a different fusion process. But stars can only make elements up through iron. They can't make the heavier elements. Enter the supernova. A supernova is that "big blast" that occurs at the end of the life of some stars. In a supernova, the trans-iron elements are formed. That is, all the elements heavier than iron are formed in a supernova. Because the elements heavier than iron are formed in a supernova, we can say that there is a relationship between the supernova and the periodic table of elements.