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It isn't. Heavier elements are formed in stars as well. Iron is basically the heaviest element for which energy can be gained. When converting iron into heavier elements, energy is lost. However, this doesn't stop supernovae, at a temperature of about one gigakelvin (a billion degrees), to form heavier elements. In fact, the interior of stars is practically the ONLY way such elements can be formed.
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoThe fusion of hydrogen into helium and then to other elements - up to iron - release energy. This energy pushes against the gravitational attraction. The formation of atoms of iron and heavier elements nuclear fusion requires energy. There is, therefore, nothing to prevent the star collapsing in on itself under its own gravity. The heavier elements are produced only during supernovae.
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoIron formed in the stars by stellar nucleosynthesis (the step of silicon burning).
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoYes, this is a star nucleosynthesis.
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Is iron the heaviest element made in abundance in massive stars?
Iron is the heaviest element made in the bowels of any star with the exception of a supernova explosion. All natural elements heavier than iron come from one of those.
What is the heaviest element that can be made by normal processes inside a star?
In very massive stars, Iron is sometimes generated.
What is the heaviest element that a star can produce through fusion before going supernova?
The heaviest element that can be produced prior to supernova is Iron (Fe).
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.
Is there iron in stars?
no there i no iron the stars are made of space dust
Did iron form your solar system?
No Iron is the heaviest element that can only be formed near the end of a stars life. Iron is the cause of a stars implosion.
Is iron the heaviest element made in abundance in massive stars?
Iron is the heaviest element made in the bowels of any star with the exception of a supernova explosion. All natural elements heavier than iron come from one of those.
What is the origin of iron?
The stars. Iron is the heaviest element produced in the normal cycle of stellar fusion. Iron thus formed is distributed across areas of space upon the death of some stars. On earth, iron is distributed in large deposits at various locations around the globe. A link is provided to the Wikipedia article on iron.
What is the heaviest element that can be made by normal processes inside a star?
In very massive stars, Iron is sometimes generated.
Is iron a compound mixture element?
Iron is an element, and is the heaviest element that may be made by fusion in a Star such as our Sun.
Is iron compound mixture elements?
Iron is an element, and is the heaviest element that may be made by fusion in a Star such as our Sun.
What is the heaviest element that a star can produce through fusion before going supernova?
The heaviest element that can be produced prior to supernova is Iron (Fe).
What elements are formed in cool stars?
Elements that are formed in cool stars are heavy but not heavier than iron. (Elements that are heavier than iron are formed in a supernova.)
What is the heaviest element silver gold iron or copper?
Gold is the most dense of these elements
Is steel a non-element or a element?
A non element. Steel is formed from Iron and carbon.
Where did the heavy elements in planetary objects originate?
The heaviest elements come mainly from supernovae. Iron is the heaviest element that can be produced by fusion. Heavier elements are produced by neutron capture. An individual free-floating neutron collides with a nucleus and merges with it. That doesn't produce a higher element on the periodic table, because the atomic number depends on the number of protons. However, nuclei with too many neutrons are unstable, and will eventually "decay". A neutron will decay into a proton and an electron. Free neutrons don't exist in great numbers in normal stars, so neutron capture doesn't happen significantly in them. Elements from carbon to iron can be formed by fusion in large stars.
What is formed from stars?
All elements up to Iron are produced by smaller stars. heavier elements (everything heavier then iron) are produced from larger stars when they go supernova.
