What element forms the inert core in a massive star, marking the end of sustained energy generation via fusion?

Answer

Iron

The advanced fusion cycles occurring within the core and shells of a supergiant progress by combining lighter elements into progressively heavier ones, such as carbon into neon, and eventually silicon into iron. This layered fusion process continues because each step releases net energy, sustaining the star's immense outward pressure against gravity. However, this sequence terminates definitively when the central core is converted entirely into iron. Fusing iron atoms requires an input of energy rather than releasing it, meaning that once the iron core forms, the star has exhausted its capability for sustained energy generation through fusion mechanisms, leading directly to the catastrophic core collapse phase.

What element forms the inert core in a massive star, marking the end of sustained energy generation via fusion?

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