Question

The heavier elements in the universe are thought to have originated from?

1) Embryonic gas globules
2) Final stages of the lives of stars
3) Collisions during planetary accretion
4) Nuclear fission in comets
5) Nuclear fusion in the deep interiors of planets

Answer 1

Heavier elements in the universe are primarily created during the final stages of the lives of massive stars through nucleosynthesis, including during supernovae, which enrich the interstellar medium for future generations of stars.

Step-by-step explanation:

The heavier elements in the universe are thought to have originated from the final stages of the lives of stars. During these stages, processes such as nucleosynthesis occur, where nuclear reactions in stars with masses higher than about 8 solar masses involve carbon, oxygen, and build up nuclei as heavy as iron. This phenomenon occurs in the deep interiors of massive stars and can also happen during the violent explosions of supernovae, where even heavier elements than iron are synthesized.

As time progresses, stars are born with increasingly larger amounts of these heavy elements. Older Population II stars formed when the abundance of heavy elements was low, while younger Population I stars contain more of these heavy elements, thanks to the recycling of material from previous star generations.