Stars Are Powered by Nuclear Fusion in Their Cores, Which

question 36

Multiple Choice

Stars are powered by nuclear fusion in their cores, which, starting with hydrogen, produce progressively heavier elements. Near the end of a star's lifetime, stellar cores produce iron by fusion. The reason this process doesn't proceed beyond iron is that

• A) iron in stellar cores tends to undergo spontaneous fission.
• B) iron is the most dense material in solid form.
• C) iron nuclei have the greatest binding energy per nucleon.
• D) iron is ferromagnetic.
• E) iron is heavy.

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