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 nuclear binding energy per nucleon, so fusion would not release energy but require energy. Therefore, it is energetically unfavorable for stars to fuse elements heavier than iron.

Why Can't Any Star, No Matter How Massive, Fuse Elements