What fundamental process transforms hydrogen in a star's furnace?
Answer
Nuclear fusion
The core of a star functions as a furnace where hydrogen undergoes nuclear fusion, converting mass into tremendous amounts of energy required to make the star visible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fundamental process transforms hydrogen in a star's furnace?Approximately what percentage of a newly formed star is composed of hydrogen?What state of matter must the core reach for hydrogen nuclei to successfully merge?What happens to the mass discrepancy when four hydrogen nuclei form one helium nucleus?What is the dominant hydrogen fusion pathway in stars similar in mass to the Sun?What nuclear force is necessary for the first step of the p-p chain where a proton transforms into a neutron?What role do carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopes play in the CNO cycle?What is the lifespan implication of the faster energy generation achieved by the CNO cycle compared to the p-p chain?What process fuses helium into carbon in the later stages of sufficiently massive stars?Why does fusion stop supporting a star against gravity once iron is produced in the core?