Why can't any star,no matter how massive,fuse elements heavier than iron?
A)because the nucleons within iron have the least mass possible
B)because elements heavier than iron have less average mass per nucleon
C)It could happen,we just have not yet observed a star massive enough to do this.
D)Actually,this occurs on a regular basis,which explains the great abundance of heavy elements.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Iron has the lowest energy per nucleon among all the elements, which means that the fusion of elements heavier than iron would require energy input instead of releasing energy, making it highly unlikely to occur in stars.

Why Can't Any Star,no Matter How Massive,fuse Elements Heavier Than