Which nuclear fuels does a one solar mass star use over the course of its entire lifespan?
A)hydrogen
B)hydrogen and helium
C)hydrogen, helium, and carbon
D)hydrogen, helium, carbon, and oxygen

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A one solar mass star uses hydrogen as its main fuel for fusion processes during its main sequence phase. As it runs out of hydrogen, it starts fusing helium to form carbon and oxygen. However, a one solar mass star is not massive enough to fuse heavier elements, so it will eventually exhaust its fuel and become a white dwarf without ever fusing beyond helium. Therefore, it only uses hydrogen and helium as nuclear fuels over the course of its entire lifespan.

Which Nuclear Fuels Does a One Solar Mass Star Use