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When heavier elements form by fussion a massive star expands into a what?
When heavier elements form by fusion, a massive star expands into a red supergiant. This is a stage of stellar evolution where the star increases in size and becomes much more luminous.
Does a heavy or light star produce heavier elements?
Heavy stars produce heavier elements through nuclear fusion in their cores. As heavy stars age and undergo supernova explosions, they release these heavier elements into the surrounding space, enriching it with elements beyond hydrogen and helium. Lighter stars are not massive enough to produce heavy elements through fusion.
Why has only the most massive stars are important contributors in enriching the galaxy with heavy elements?
To "enrich the Universe", the heavy elements would need to get back out of the star - and into outer space, where it can eventually become part of new star systems. This "getting out" happens mainly in supernova explosions - i.e., in the case of very massive stars. Also, stars with very low mass mainly convert hydrogen into helium - they didn't have time yet, given the current age of the Universe, to advance to a later stage, where they convert helium into heavier elements - and the stars with the very lowest masses never will, since they won't get hot enough.
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.
Where are most heavy elements in the universe made?
All elements were created in the sense that the universe began with The Big Bang. Hydrogen was the first atom to form from the subatomic particles, and the hydrogen coalesced into early stars, which formed the next generation of lighter atoms. All the heavier elements were produced in subsequent generations as new stars formed, lived and died in explosions we now call novas and supernovas.
As heavier elements are formed by fusion a massive star expands into a what?
A super giant
As heavier elements are formed by fusion a massive star expands into?
As heavier elements are formed by fusion in the core, a massive star will eventually exhaust its nuclear fuel and trigger a supernova explosion. This explosion will generate immense energy, leading to the production and dispersal of even more heavy elements into space.
When heavier elements form by fussion a massive star expands into a what?
When heavier elements form by fusion, a massive star expands into a red supergiant. This is a stage of stellar evolution where the star increases in size and becomes much more luminous.
How are elements more massive than iron (Fe) created in the universe?
Elements more massive than iron are created through processes such as supernova explosions and neutron star mergers, where extreme conditions allow for the fusion of lighter elements into heavier ones.
Does a heavy or light star produce heavier elements?
Heavy stars produce heavier elements through nuclear fusion in their cores. As heavy stars age and undergo supernova explosions, they release these heavier elements into the surrounding space, enriching it with elements beyond hydrogen and helium. Lighter stars are not massive enough to produce heavy elements through fusion.
A massive star expands into a?
Supergiant star.
How were elements heavier than hydrogen formed?
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.
Explain how the heavier elements such as iron are produced in astrophysical processes?
Heavier atoms which could not be formed as a result of fusion are produced as the result of a star that has run out of fuel exploding. It essentially forces atoms which do not release energy to fuse together.
Why can the Sun not produce heavier elements beyond carbon and oxygen?
The Sun can only produce elements up to carbon and oxygen through nuclear fusion in its core. For elements heavier than carbon and oxygen, higher temperatures and pressures are required, which can only be achieved in more massive stars or during supernova explosions.
Are all-stars made of similar elements?
Younger stars often are made up mainly of hydrogen, perhaps with some helium. Less massive stars will only fues hydrogen into helium, so eventually they will end up having a lot of helium. More massive stars however will eventually start fusing helium to metals, i.e., heavier elements. In any case, the "metallicity" (percentage of elements heavier than helium) and the percentages of different elements should vary somewhat between different stars.Younger stars often are made up mainly of hydrogen, perhaps with some helium. Less massive stars will only fues hydrogen into helium, so eventually they will end up having a lot of helium. More massive stars however will eventually start fusing helium to metals, i.e., heavier elements. In any case, the "metallicity" (percentage of elements heavier than helium) and the percentages of different elements should vary somewhat between different stars.Younger stars often are made up mainly of hydrogen, perhaps with some helium. Less massive stars will only fues hydrogen into helium, so eventually they will end up having a lot of helium. More massive stars however will eventually start fusing helium to metals, i.e., heavier elements. In any case, the "metallicity" (percentage of elements heavier than helium) and the percentages of different elements should vary somewhat between different stars.Younger stars often are made up mainly of hydrogen, perhaps with some helium. Less massive stars will only fues hydrogen into helium, so eventually they will end up having a lot of helium. More massive stars however will eventually start fusing helium to metals, i.e., heavier elements. In any case, the "metallicity" (percentage of elements heavier than helium) and the percentages of different elements should vary somewhat between different stars.
Stars combine Hydrogen to make Helium during nuclear fusion. Living things are made of heavier elements like Carbon Oxygen Iron and Calcium. How did these elements form?
These heavier elements were formed through processes like nucleosynthesis in the core of massive stars, supernova explosions, and stellar winds. These events create conditions where lighter elements are fused or broken apart to form heavier elements, eventually leading to the creation of elements like carbon, oxygen, iron, and calcium.
Is iron the heaviest element made in abundance in massive stars?
No, iron is not the heaviest element made in massive stars. Massive stars produce elements through nuclear fusion in their cores, creating heavier elements than iron, such as lead, gold, and uranium. Iron is often referred to as the endpoint of nuclear fusion in massive stars because the energy required to fuse iron exceeds the energy output of the reaction.
