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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.

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15y ago

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