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how do stars release energy

by Francisca Goyette PhD Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Stars produce their energy through nuclear fusion. For most stars, this process is dominated by a process called the "proton-proton chain," a sequence of events that transforms four hydrogen atoms into one helium atom.

Full Answer

How do stars generate energy?

What keeps the star's gravity from collapsing?

What elements did the Big Bang create?

Do stars shine?

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How do stars generate energy?

Stars generate energy through nuclear fusion. Here’s an easy explanation into how the process works. You don’t have to be a scientist to know that stars shine. It’s what they’re known for. But how and why they shine was unknown for thousands of years, and only became clear in the 20th century, as humans puzzled out the power of nuclear fusion.

How do stars shine?

Close up, that gravity crunches atoms together. And squeezing two atoms into one creates a powerful burst of energy, as humans witnessed firsthand when they built their own fusion bombs. Stars spend most of their lives repetitively compressing two hydrogen atoms into a single helium atom – plus a lot of energy, which is released as light and heat.

What keeps the star's gravity from collapsing?

The energy that process releases is actually what keeps the star’s gravity from collapsing it entirely. A star lives while there’s balance between the outward push of energy from nuclear fusion and the inward press of gravity. A star dies when it runs out of fuel and the balancing act ends.

What elements did the Big Bang create?

The Big Bang only created hydrogen, helium, and a tiny bit of lithium. Stars created everything else, including most of the atoms in your body.

How do stars generate energy?

Stars generate energy through nuclear fusion. Here’s an easy explanation about how the process works.

What keeps the star's gravity from collapsing?

The energy that process releases is actually what keeps the star’s gravity from collapsing it entirely. A star lives while there’s balance between the outward push of energy from nuclear fusion and the inward press of gravity. A star dies when it runs out of fuel and the balancing act ends.

What elements did the Big Bang create?

The Big Bang only created hydrogen, helium, and a tiny bit of lithium. Stars created everything else, including most of the atoms in your body.

Do stars shine?

You don’t have to be a scientist to know that stars shine. It’s what they’re known for. But how and why they shine was unknown for thousands of years, and only became clear in the 20th century, as humans puzzled out the power of nuclear fusion.

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1.How do stars create and release their energy?

Url:https://astronomy.com/news/2020/02/how-do-stars-create-and-release-their-energy

14 hours ago  · Stars spend most of their lives repetitively compressing two hydrogen atoms into a single helium atom – plus a lot of energy, which is released as light and heat.

2.How Do Stars Produce and Release Energy? | Discover …

Url:https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/how-do-stars-produce-and-release-energy?es_p=11121096

24 hours ago How Do Stars Release Their Energy? Releasing energy is what keeps the star’s gravity from collapsing, as a star dies when there is no longer a balance and no more energy left to burn. …

3.How do stars release energy? - Quora

Url:https://www.quora.com/How-do-stars-release-energy

10 hours ago And squeezing two atoms into one creates a powerful burst of energy, as humans witnessed firsthand when they built their own fusion bombs. Stars spend most of their lives repetitively …

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