Why does the fusion of iron atoms in a massive star's core lead to core collapse rather than sustained energy release?
Answer
Fusing iron atoms actually consumes net energy instead of releasing it.
Iron ($ ext{Fe}$) represents a critical turning point in stellar evolution because it marks the peak of nuclear binding energy. All elements synthesized through fusion reactions lighter than iron result in a net release of energy, which provides the necessary outward pressure to support the star against gravity. However, when the core becomes predominantly iron, attempting to fuse these iron atoms together requires an external input of energy for the reaction to proceed. Since the process itself consumes energy, it cannot generate the sustained thermal pressure needed to counteract the star's enormous gravitational pull, leading to catastrophic failure of support.
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