2006-06-06 12:04:29 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Elements heavier than iron are produced in two ways:
Actually, they are ONLY produced in supernovae. You need a huge excess of energy around because fusion of atoms into atoms heavier than iron is an endothermic reaction.
Burbridge, Burbridge, Fowler and Hoyle published the DEFINITIVE paper that illustrated why we observe elements in the proportions we do. They used the then new understanding of nuclear chemistry (the paper published in 1957) and an estimate of energy and nucleon density in supernova explosions to reproduce the observed proportions of heavy elements.
Below I link to a nice wiki article that describes the history of answering your question.
2006-06-07 15:24:36 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. Quark 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Stars!
Out of the hydrogen clouds, the first stars were formed. These stars were different from most stars today, as they didn't contain the heavy metals that many now do. These stars often died in massive explosions called supernovas. These explosions were so violent that they forged new elements out of the existing hydrogen and helium atoms in a complex process.
The environment near and inside of a star is an exciting place where matter takes on forms that we would not encounter here on Earth. In some stars we have detected the presense of exotic molecules.
New studies are coming to light that suggest black holes may have played an integral part in the formation of the universe as we know it today.
2006-06-06 19:35:09 · answer #2 · answered by minuteblue 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Elements lighter than lithium (and lithium itself) were created in the big bang
Elements heavier than lithium are all synthesized in stars. During the late stages of stellar evolution, massive stars burn helium to carbon, oxygen, silicon, sulfur, and iron. Elements heavier than iron are produced in two ways: in the outer envelopes of super-giant stars and in the explosion of a supernovae.
2006-06-06 19:08:09 · answer #3 · answered by ME! 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the Big Bang that a god may have created the chemical development is expounded by ME!
2006-06-06 19:17:26 · answer #4 · answered by potteries03 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they did not... The big bang gose agenst the laws of phiscs (sorry for my spelling). and dont let them tell you stars did it. You cant get passed iorn from stars. (example) most elements could not have been made by stars. It is simple God did it..
2006-06-06 20:33:30 · answer #5 · answered by GavinO 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What big bang?
2006-06-06 19:07:53 · answer #6 · answered by Adam the Engineer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋