Which famous equation describes the energy generation far exceeding gravitational heating during ongoing fusion?
Answer
$E=mc^2$
The energy released during the steady, thermonuclear conversion of hydrogen into helium is vastly more efficient and powerful than the initial heating generated purely by the mechanical process of gravitational contraction. The ongoing heat that sustains the star is fundamentally a product of mass being converted directly into energy. This precise relationship is encapsulated by Einstein's famous equation, E=mc^2, which quantifies the immense amount of energy released from even a small amount of mass lost during the nuclear fusion process, serving as the ultimate source for the star's extended luminosity.
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