ARELLANO UNIVERSITY

Jose Abad Santos Campus

Basic Education Department – Senior High School
3058 Taft Avenue Pasay City

Subject: PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Teacher: Garry L. Llacer
Name of Student: Jovan Kislev C. Masing
Grade/Section/Strand: 12-ABM 2
Date: 01/15/23

DLP 1

Topic: Formation of Heavy Elements during Star Formation and evolution.

A. Match the term in Column A to Column B.

A B

C 1. Interstellar grain a.) Violent explosion of a star.

E
. 2. Stellar Nuleosynthesis b.) Energy found in the star formation.
A
. 3. Supernova c.) Frozen materials
B
. 4. Infrared radiation d.) Deals with the various events of the star’s life.
D
. 5. Stellar evolution e.) Process of forming heavy elements within the stars.
.

B. Label the element formed in each shell fusion.

1. OXYGEN FUSION

2. NEON FUSION

3. MAGNESIUM FUSION

4. SILICON FUSION

5. IRON ASH
The stellar evolution deals with the various events of the star’s life. From the dense molecular cloud to
time when the star becomes exhausted all its nuclear fuel. The stellar nucleosynthesis is a chemical
process of forming heavy elements within the stars. This process requires high amount of temperature,
pressure and energy so that fusion will take place to create heavy elements. These heavy elements are
very essential in our environment; some in our bodies were produced through stellar nucleosynthesis.
The Formation of Heavier Elements
The lighter elements are formed during the big bang nucleosynthesis. On the other hand, the heavier
elements are formed through the stellar nucleosynthesis. Stellar nucleosynthesis is a formation of heavy
elements within the stars. As the stars are evolving, there is a greater possibility of formation and changes
of elements.
Stellar Evolution
The stellar evolution is an event of changes of a star during its lifetime from evolutionary phase of
protostar until its stellar death: supernova. The theory of collapse under gravity is considered as the major
theory of the star formation. The stars are formed by the gravitational collapse of dense molecular cloud.
As the molecular cloud collapses, the fragments from different regions are grouped to form stellar core
called protostar. As the protostar’s temperature increases, the nuclear reaction starts up to convert
hydrogen into helium in its core then star is form into the main sequence. The star will continue
converting hydrogen into helium then it will become a main sequence star.
Eventually, in the main sequence star fuses so much of its hydrogen into helium, the fusion will stop. The
pressure in the core is reduced. Meanwhile, the star’s core cools then begin to contract again. In this case,
the contraction increases the pressure and temperature of the star’s core. In the core, helium is converted
to carbon while in the shell, hydrogen is converted into helium making the star -red giant. The stellar
evolution produces elements through iron (Fe). The star’s outer materials are blown off into the space and
the remainder of the star becomes a white dwarf. The star’s core can no longer make energy to resist from
gravity. The star now will explode and release a large amount of energy this explosion is referred as
supernova.
Shell Fusion
The bigger the star, the heavier elements it can produce inside the core. In this case, the massive star has
enough temperature and pressure for the fusion to take place. For instance, the formation of heavy
elements. In the entire star’s lifetime, different events will happen such as fusion of heavy elements in
the core and in the shells that surround the core. The shell fusion is a process of formation of new
elements in its layers or regions. For this case, carbon fusion will form oxygen, neon from the fusion of
oxygen, from neon fusion will create magnesium, silicon is the product of magnesium fusion and iron is
form from silicon fusion as seen in the above figure of shells fusion. When new elements are produced,
new layers are added up to the size of the star until it becomes multiple shell-red giant.
Evidence of formation of heavy elements
One of the significant evidences to support the formation of heavier elements during stellar evolution is
the interstellar medium. The interstellar medium is all the collection of interstellar matter. The
interstellar matter refers to the materials between the stars. About ninety-nine percent (99%) of these
materials are in the form of gases. The most abundant gases are helium and hydrogen. And the
remaining one percent (1%) is in the form of solids which are frozen particles called interstellar grains.
The interstellar grains are made up of rock like materials.
Another evidence to corroborate the formation of heavy elements is infrared radiation. The infrared
radiation is a form of energy detected in the process of star formation. Astronomers used infrared
radiation to estimate the pressure, temperature and energy in the evolutionary phase of the star
formation.