Download Where do elements come from?

Video Questions
• What elements were created during the
big bang?
• What elements are created as fusion in
stars?
• What elements are created during a super
nova explosion?
• How does the mass of the star effect
element creation?
Where do elements
come from?
The First Elements in the Early
Universe
Hydrogen and Helium
were the first elements
Where do the other 90
naturally occurring
elements originate (come)
from?
Fusion in stars
and Supernovae
Elements in the stars
as viewed from Earth
Elements are made in stars
• Stars are hot ionized
balls of gas (plasma)
full of energy and are
held together by
gravity
• Everything is made
from the elements
created in massive
stars. Stars are huge
factories producing
the elements found in
the Universe.
What is Nuclear Fusion?
Combining of atomic nuclei
• The star creates heat and light by nuclear fusion.
Light Hydrogen atoms fuse into Helium atoms.
Lighter Elements: Atomic # ≤ 26
• Lighter elements fuse
to create heavier
elements like carbon
and oxygen
• During the life span
of a star, fusion can
take place up to the
formation of Iron (Fe)
Supergiants
What happens to the high mass stars when they exhaust
their He fuel?
• They have enough
gravitational energy to
heat up to 6 x 108 K.
– C fuses into O
• C is exhausted, core
collapses until O fuses.
• The cycle repeats itself.
– O  Ne  Mg  Si 
Fe
© 2004 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Addison-Wesley
Heavier Elements: Atomic # > 26
Supernova
Crab Nebula in Taurus
supernova exploded in 1054
The amount of
energy released
is so great, that
most of the
elements heavier
than Iron (Fe)
are instantly
created.
Supernovae
Veil Nebula
Tycho’s Supernova (X-rays)
exploded in 1572
• After a supernova, a solar nebula is
formed which contains heavier
elements
• This nebula forms new stars with a
higher concentration of heavier
elements
• Our Sun has 67 different elements
and is thus a later generation or
“recycled” star
Where do elements come from?
Where do elements come from?
•Big Bang
•Fusion in Stars
HHeC…
•Supernovas Recycled Matter