Why is the nucleosynthesis era so important in determining the chemical composition of the universe?
A) All the elements except hydrogen were produced in the nucleosynthesis era.
B) We can observe spectra from this era to determine what the primordial mix of the elements was at the beginning of the universe.
C) Except for a small amount of elements heavier than helium produced later by stars, the chemical composition of the universe is the same now as at the end of the nucleosynthesis era.
D) We can study the processes that occurred during the nucleosynthesis era to determine how most of the elements in the universe were created.
E) By knowing how much matter was created during the nucleosynthesis era, we can determine whether the universe is open or closed.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nucleosynthesis era is crucial because it set the initial abundances of light elements like hydrogen, helium, and small amounts of lithium and beryllium. The chemical composition of the universe has remained largely unchanged since then, except for heavier elements formed in stars.

Why Is the Nucleosynthesis Era So Important in Determining the Chemical