In massive stars,three helium nuclei fuse together,forming a carbon nucleus.This reaction heats the core of the star.The net mass of the three helium nuclei must therefore be
A) higher than that of the carbon nucleus.
B) less than that of the carbon nucleus.
C) the same as that of the carbon nucleus since mass is always conserved.
D) the same as that of the carbon nucleus since energy is always conserved.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mass of the three helium nuclei is higher than that of the carbon nucleus because some of the mass is converted into energy (according to E=mc^2) during the fusion process, which heats the core of the star. This is an example of mass-energy equivalence.

In Massive Stars,three Helium Nuclei Fuse Together,forming a Carbon Nucleus