An old high-mass star can have a number of shells (hydrogen,helium,carbon,neon,oxygen,silicon)plus an iron core.Fusion generally takes place everywhere EXCEPT in the
A) hydrogen shell.
B) helium shell.
C) silicon shell.
D) iron core.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Fusion reactions cannot take place in the iron core of a high-mass star because it requires energy for fusion to occur at that point, whereas other shells have enough energy to undergo fusion. Additionally, the fusion of iron does not produce any net energy, so fusion reactions cease entirely in the star once the iron core forms.

An Old High-Mass Star Can Have a Number of Shells