Menu Close

What is the first element that is converted in a stars core?

What is the first element that is converted in a stars core?

Main sequence stars accumulate helium in their cores as a result of hydrogen fusion, but the core does not become hot enough to initiate helium fusion. Helium fusion first begins when a star leaves the red giant branch after accumulating sufficient helium in its core to ignite it.

What is formed when the core of a star become heated?

Once the temperature reaches 15,000,000 degrees Celsius, nuclear fusion takes place in the center, or core, of the cloud. The tremendous heat given off by the nuclear fusion process causes the gas to glow creating a protostar. As it glows, hydrogen is converted into helium in the core by nuclear fusion.

What is different about a massive star’s lifetime during the hydrogen fusing phase?

what is the last step in the life cycle of the sun? what is different about a massive star’s lifetime during the hydrogen fusing phase? the phase is shorter because the star is so bright that it uses up fuel very fast. what are the last two elements that a massive star produces?

What is the life cycle of stars?

Massive stars transform into supernovae, neutron stars and black holes while average stars like the sun, end life as a white dwarf surrounded by a disappearing planetary nebula. All stars, irrespective of their size, follow the same 7 stage cycle, they start as a gas cloud and end as a star remnant.

What element is at the core of a star?

hydrogen
Stars are made of very hot gas. This gas is mostly hydrogen and helium, which are the two lightest elements. Stars shine by burning hydrogen into helium in their cores, and later in their lives create heavier elements.

What elements are in the core of a star?

Stars are made of very hot gas. This gas is mostly hydrogen and helium, which are the two lightest elements. Stars shine by burning hydrogen into helium in their cores, and later in their lives create heavier elements.

What happens when a very massive star runs out of elements to fuse?

Once a star has exhausted its supply of hydrogen in its core, leaving nothing but helium, the outward force created by fusion starts to decrease and the star can no longer maintain equilibrium. The force of gravity becomes greater than the force from internal pressure and the star begins to collapse.

What happens in a star’s core?

The core of a star is located inside the star in a region where the temperature and pressures are sufficient to ignite nuclear fusion, converting atoms of hydrogen into helium, and releasing a tremendous amount of heat. It’s within this region that temperatures reach 15,000,000 Kelvin and nuclear fusion can take place.

What happens to the core of the main sequence star?

As the main sequence star glows, hydrogen in its core is converted into helium by nuclear fusion. When the hydrogen supply in the core begins to run out, and the star is no longer generating heat by nuclear fusion, the core becomes unstable and contracts.

How are the most common elements in stars made?

While many of the more common elements are made through nuclear fusion in the cores of stars, it takes the unstable conditions of the supernova explosion to form many of the heavier elements. The shock wave propels this material out into space.

Where does the energy of a star come from?

Initially the energy is generated by the fusion of hydrogen atoms at the core of the main-sequence star. Later, as the preponderance of atoms at the core becomes helium, stars like the Sun begin to fuse hydrogen along a spherical shell surrounding the core.

When does the core temperature of a star increase?

Once massive stars reach the red giant phase, the core temperature continues to increase as carbon atoms are formed from the fusion of helium atoms. Gravity continues to pull together the carbon atoms in the core until the temperature reaches 600,000,000 degrees Celsius.