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Chapter 19: Problem 9

Why does helium fusion require much higher temperatures than hydrogen fusion?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Helium fusion requires much higher temperatures than hydrogen fusion due to the increased electrostatic repulsion between helium nuclei which have two protons each. Overcoming this requires more energy, and therefore higher temperatures.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear fusion is the process where two light nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus. It's the process that powers stars, releasing large amounts of energy. It requires high temperatures to overcome the electrostatic repulsion between the positively charged nuclei.
02

The Case of Hydrogen Fusion

In the case of hydrogen fusion, four hydrogen nuclei (protons) come together to form one helium nucleus, releasing energy. The necessary temperatures for this fusion to take place is around 15 million degrees Celsius, in the core of the Sun.
03

The Case of Helium Fusion

For helium fusion, also known as the triple-alpha process, three helium-4 nuclei must come together to form carbon-12. This requires temperatures of approximately 100 million degrees Celsius.
04

Reason for Higher Temperatures for Helium Fusion

Helium fusion requires higher temperatures because helium nuclei have two protons, so the electrostatic repulsion is greater than that between hydrogen nuclei, which have only one proton each. More energy, and thus higher temperatures, are needed to overcome this greater repulsion and allow the nuclei to get close enough for the strong nuclear force to pull them together and let fusion occur.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Explain why the Earth is expected to become inhospitable to life long before the Sun becomes a red giant.

The inverse relationship between a star's mass and its mainsequence lifetime is sometimes likened to automobiles in that the more massive vehicles, such as commercial semi-tractortrailer trucks, need to consume significantly more fuel to travel at highway speeds than more lightweight and economical vehicles. As a group, create a table called "Maximum Vehicle Driving Distances," much like Table 19-1, "MainSequence Lifetimes," by making estimates for any five vehicles of your groups' choosing. The table's column headings should be: (1) vehicle make and model; (2) estimated gas tank size; (3) cost to fill tank; (4) estimated mileage (in miles per gallon); and (5) number of miles driven on a single fill-up.

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