Which of the Following Best Explains the Difference Between the Heavy-Element

question 96

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best explains the difference between the heavy-element abundances seen in the first stars and those seen in stars that we observe today?

• A) Stars today have more heavy elements because modern stars have higher masses, allowing them to create more heavy elements through nuclear fusion.
• B) Stars today have more heavy elements because the gas that formed the current stars was enriched by the higher-mass elements formed in previous generations of stars.
• C) Stars today have fewer heavy elements because they have been around long enough to use up the larger atoms.
• D) Stars today have a smaller abundance of heavy elements because they haven't been around long enough to make as many of the larger atoms.
• E) The stars that astronomers observe now are the first generation of stars.