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What is the main source of energy in stars?

Updated: 9/24/2023
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Abriones151

Lvl 1
9y ago

Best Answer

The pressure in the core of the sun is high enough to force atoms of hydrogen to come together in nuclear fusionreactions.

Two protons (H+) combine to form a deuterium atom.

Two helium-3 atoms combine to form a helium-4 atom (two protons and two neutrons) and two protons.

These reactions account for 85 percent of the sun's energy.

The helium-4 atoms are less massive than the two hydrogen atoms that started the process, so the difference in mass is converted to energy: light, X-rays, microwaves, radio-waves.

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9y ago
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Q: What is the main source of energy in stars?
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