What is the energy characteristic associated with fusing elements lighter than iron during stellar nucleosynthesis?
Answer
Fusing elements lighter than iron releases energy (exothermic)
The entire sequence of core fusion reactions, starting from hydrogen up to iron, is fundamentally driven by the release of energy. This energy release, known as being exothermic, is crucial because it generates the outward thermal pressure that balances the inward pull of gravity, thereby sustaining the star against collapse during its active burning phases. Once the element synthesized reaches iron, this energy-releasing mechanism ceases, as fusing iron itself demands an energy input rather than providing it, leading to the catastrophic gravitational failure of the stellar core.
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