What is the primary fuel source that powers a star during its longest, most stable life phase?
Answer
Hydrogen
The main sequence phase of a star's life, the longest period, is entirely fueled by the fusion of hydrogen nuclei into heavier nuclei, primarily helium.
Related Questions
What element forms the overwhelming bulk of the material in nearly every star?Approximately what percentage of an average star's mass is composed of hydrogen?What element accounts for nearly all of the mass in a star that is not hydrogen?What term do astronomers collectively use for heavier elements like oxygen and carbon found in stars?What is the core temperature threshold required for a gas cloud fragment to become a true star capable of sustained nuclear fusion?What is the primary fuel source that powers a star during its longest, most stable life phase?What distinguishes a brown dwarf from a true star capable of main-sequence life?How do more massive stars primarily convert hydrogen into helium during fusion?When does the synthesis of elements heavier than helium typically occur within a star?What characterizes the composition of the very first stars (Population III stars)?Compared to stars forming in the spiral arms today, what is characteristic of the composition of very old stars born in the galactic halo?