Why did the era of nuclei end when the universe was about 380,000 years old?
A)The universe had expanded and cooled enough for stable, neutral atoms to form.
B)The nucleosynthesis era that produced the nuclei heavier than helium ended.
C)All the free particles had combined to form the nuclei of atoms.
D)Atomic nuclei were finally able to escape the plasma of the early universe.
E)Photons were finally able to escape the plasma of the early universe and were no longer available to produce hydrogen and helium nuclei.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The era of nuclei ended when the universe was about 380,000 years old because the universe had expanded and cooled enough for stable, neutral atoms to form. This allowed photons to travel freely through space, leading to the creation of the cosmic microwave background radiation that we observe today.

Why Did the Era of Nuclei End When the Universe