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Chapter 19: Problem 9

Why does helium fusion require much higher temperatures than hydrogen fusion?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Helium fusion requires much higher temperatures than hydrogen fusion due to the increased electrostatic repulsion between helium nuclei which have two protons each. Overcoming this requires more energy, and therefore higher temperatures.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear fusion is the process where two light nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus. It's the process that powers stars, releasing large amounts of energy. It requires high temperatures to overcome the electrostatic repulsion between the positively charged nuclei.
02

The Case of Hydrogen Fusion

In the case of hydrogen fusion, four hydrogen nuclei (protons) come together to form one helium nucleus, releasing energy. The necessary temperatures for this fusion to take place is around 15 million degrees Celsius, in the core of the Sun.
03

The Case of Helium Fusion

For helium fusion, also known as the triple-alpha process, three helium-4 nuclei must come together to form carbon-12. This requires temperatures of approximately 100 million degrees Celsius.
04

Reason for Higher Temperatures for Helium Fusion

Helium fusion requires higher temperatures because helium nuclei have two protons, so the electrostatic repulsion is greater than that between hydrogen nuclei, which have only one proton each. More energy, and thus higher temperatures, are needed to overcome this greater repulsion and allow the nuclei to get close enough for the strong nuclear force to pull them together and let fusion occur.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

What is a red dwarf? How are thermonuclear reactions in the core of a red dwarf able to consume hydrogen from the star's outer layers?

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Explain why the majority of the stars visible through telescopes are main- sequence stars.

The stars that make up the binary system W Ursae Majoris (see Figure 19-21c) have particularly strong magnetic fields. Explain how astronomers could have discovered this. (Hint: See Section 16-9.)

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