Why Are Higher Gas Temperatures in the Core of a Star

question 21

Multiple Choice

Why are higher gas temperatures in the core of a star required to produce nuclear fusion of helium compared with the temperature required for nuclear fusion of hydrogen?

• A) The helium nuclei need to be moving faster to avoid the more numerous and faster hydrogen nuclei, with which they can combine with no energy generation.
• B) Higher speeds are needed between two helium atoms to overcome the shielding effect of the two electrons around the nucleus compared with the one electron per nucleus of hydrogen.
• C) Higher atomic speeds are required to strip off two electrons per helium atom rather than one electron per atom for hydrogen before fusion can take place.
• D) Higher collision speeds are needed to overcome the extra electrostatic repulsion between doubly charged helium nuclei.

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Definitions:

Air Temperature

The measure of the warmth or coldness of the air in the environment, typically recorded in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

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Fontanelles

Soft spots on a baby's skull where the bones have not yet fused together, allowing for growth of the brain.

Cone-Shaped

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