ESS Regents Practice Exam

What elements do low-mass stars make?

Up to Iron Up to Carbon Only Hydrogen Up to Helium

Correct Answer:

Up to Helium

Explanation:

In stars, what elements are produced by fusion depends on how hot and dense the core gets. Low-mass stars have cores hot enough to fuse hydrogen into helium, providing their energy, but they don't reach the temperatures needed to fuse helium into heavier elements for most of their lives. So their fusion products are mainly helium. Heavier elements like carbon or oxygen require higher temperatures found in more massive stars or in later, different burning phases that low-mass stars don’t sustain for long. That’s why the typical outcome associated with low-mass stars is production up to helium.

Access more questions from this quiz

Continue to ESS Regents Practice Exam for more practice questions and the full quiz experience.

Access More Questions