After the creation of hydrogen and helium in the Big Bang at the beginning of the universe, nuclear fusion in stars and supernova explosions give rise to a variety of elements, which are the basis for life and planetary formation.
Everything in the universe is made of elements, and there are about 100 known types of elements. These elements are the basic building blocks of all matter in the universe, and they play a role in everything from the birth of life to the formation of planets and stars. While it is often assumed that these elements have been around since the beginning of the universe, they actually have different origins, which provide important clues to understanding the history of the universe. Some elements were created at the beginning of the universe, some were created during the evolution of stars, and some were created when stars exploded. Understanding the origins of the elements is the key to unlocking the complexities of the evolution of the universe.
Hydrogen and some helium were created in the Big Bang, the massive explosion that occurred at the creation of the universe. Immediately after the Big Bang, the universe was extremely hot and dense, which allowed atomic nuclei to form rapidly. Hydrogen and helium were the first elements to form during the early formation of the universe, and they are important elements in the basic structure of the universe. They provided the basis for more complex elements to develop as the universe expanded, dropping in temperature, condensing matter, and eventually forming the first stars.
The rest of the helium and other elements were created as stars evolved. Stars use hydrogen as their primary fuel to fuel nuclear fusion reactions, which produce a variety of elements. In the early stages of the formation of stars with masses greater than the Sun, helium is made from hydrogen, which requires high temperatures of more than 10 million degrees (107 K). When atomic nuclei react at high temperatures to form larger atomic nuclei, it’s called nuclear fusion. After hydrogen has fused to form helium, the temperature at the center of the star rises to about 100 million degrees (108 K), and elements heavier than helium begin to form. In this process, three heliums combine to form carbon, and one helium is added to carbon to form oxygen. These elements form the basis of many of the materials found in the universe and are essential for life to exist.
When the core of a star reaches temperatures above a billion degrees (109 K), carbon and oxygen break down into smaller elements and combine with each other to form larger elements such as magnesium, silicon, and sulfur. These elements are then ejected from the star’s outskirts and eventually scattered throughout the universe, contributing to the birth of new stars and planets. However, heavier elements, i.e., those heavier than iron, cannot be created through simple nuclear fusion.
None of the elements that exist today that are heavier than iron are produced by simple nuclear fusion. Even if an element heavier than iron is temporarily created under the conditions in which it is produced, it will soon decay back to stable iron. This is because the binding energy of nucleons in iron’s nucleus is the largest of any element. A nucleon is a proton or neutron, and its binding energy is the energy required to separate it from the nucleus. Elements lighter than iron have larger nucleon binding energies the larger their mass, but elements heavier than iron have smaller nucleon binding energies the larger their mass. This puts iron at the point where the energy of the nucleus is most stable, and special conditions are needed for heavier elements to form inside stars.
Elements heavier than iron have been explained to be created in star explosions as follows The more iron produced by nuclear fusion, the more the star contracts. As the star contracts toward the center, its temperature increases, and at some point, the star explodes. This explosion is called a supernova explosion, and the star’s material is ejected into outer space. Elements heavier than iron are created instantaneously when the high density of protons and neutrons from the star’s explosion combine with previously created elements. This is how elements like radium and uranium are created. Supernova explosions are important events in the chemical evolution of the universe, as they provide a constant supply of new elements to the universe.
After all, with the exception of hydrogen and some helium, the elements are the remnants of stars that existed long ago. All the elements in the universe are traces of past stars, seeds that allow new stars and planets to be born. These elements are constantly recycled throughout the history of the universe and form the basis of all matter, including life. Elements also have a birth order in the universe. This suggests that the evolutionary process of the universe is based on complex and organized principles, and understanding this allows humans to delve deeper into the universe and our origins.
