FORMATION OF HEAVY

ELEMENTS
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:

01 Explain stellar nucleosynthesis.

02 Describe the different stages of life cycle of stars.

04 Cite the different heavy elements formed in each stages of star

cycle.
ELEMENTS
All objects are made up of one or
more elements. What elements do
you know? Students will be asked
to recall some of the elements
found on Earth. How are those
elements formed?
 Guess the
ELEMENTS
 6.
1. C Beryllium
2. Ne 7. Iron
3. Si 8. Cadmium
4. U 9. Calcium
5. S 10. Argon
The formation of the universe
began through the explosion of
a primordial atom which
happened 13 billion years
ago. It is known as the
Big Bang.
Right after Big Bang, protons and
neutrons combined together and
formed light elements Hydrogen and
Helium in the process of Big Bang
Nucleosynthesis. Other light elements
such as Lithium and Beryllium were
also formed during this process.
All matter was compacted into a
very small ball with infinite density
and intense heat called a
SINGULARITY. The Singularity
began expanding, and the universe
as we know it began.
Big Bang
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
It is a process wherein light elements
such as Hydrogen and Helium formed.

Other light elements such as Lithium

and Beryllium were also formed during
this process.
 Stellar
Nucleosynthesis – the
formation of elements
through nuclear fusion
within stars.
Several elements were formed
through the star life cycle.
The formation of elements in the
center of the star is known as stellar
nucleosynthesis.
Do you know what stages do star go
through?
Recall Label the sequence of the star life cycle.
ANSWER
1. nebula
2. average star
3. massive star
4. red giant
5. white dwarf
6. red super giant
7. supernova
8. neutron star
9. black hole
It is an observed fact that most of the
matter in the universe are the three lightest
elements: HYDROGEN, HELIUM, and
LITHIUM. These elements were present
during the initial formation of the
universe, with the heavier elements being
later formed in massive stars.
Heavy elements were formed only billions
of years after the formation of stars.

The density inside a star is great

enough to sustain fusion for extended
time periods required to synthesize heavy
elements.
Stars are hot and dense enough to burn
hydrogen -1 (1H) to helium -4 (4He).

The formation of heavy elements by fusion

of lighter nuclei in the interior of stars is
called “stellar nucleosynthesis”
The most common substance in the Universe is
HYDROGEN (one proton), followed by HELIUM,
LITHIUM, BERYLLIUM and BORON. ISOTOPES are
formed, such as deuterium and tritium, but these
elements are unstable and decay into free protons and
neutrons.
There are many nuclear synthetic pathways
or nuclear fusions to produce heavy
elements:

 Proton-proton fusion
 Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen (CNO) cycle
 Triple alpha process
 Proton-proton fusion
 occurs in a main
sequence star
 In this process, the
average star gets
its energy and
convert Hydrogen
into Helium.
 CNO (Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen) Cycle
 The process where
massive stars
convert Hydrogen
into Helium.
In stars the primary constituents are
HYDROGEN and HELIUM, but there
are usually (much) smaller amounts
of heavier elements. In particular
there can be carbon (C), nitrogen
(N), and oxygen (O) ions. If these are
present, they can participate in the
sequence of reactions
● The PP chain is the most important energy
production mechanism for normal stars
having masses comparable to the Sun or
less. For more massive stars the PP chain
can still occur, but there is another sequence
of reactions that becomes more favorable for
converting hydrogen to helium. It is called
the CNO cycle, which stands for the carbon-
nitrogen-oxygen cycle
 CNO (Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen) Cycle
 This carbon-nitrogen-oxygen or
CNO cycle converts hydrogen
to helium according to the
following sequence of reactions:
1. Carbon-12 fused with proton
(H) and form Nitrogen-13.
2. Nitrogen-13 undergoes beta
decay to form Carbon-13.
3. Carbon-13 captures proton
(H) and Nitrogen-14 is
formed.
  CNO (Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen) Cycle
 This carbon-nitrogen-oxygen or
CNO cycle converts hydrogen
to helium according to the
following sequence of reactions:
4. Nitrogen-14 captures proton to
produce Oxygen-15.
5. Oxygen-15 undergoes beta
decay that forms Nitrogen-15.
6. The Nitrogen-15 fused with
proton gives off Helium to
generate the stable atom of
Carbon-12.
7. The process repeats.
Notice that a total of four protons
(hydrogen nuclei) are captured and one
alpha particle (helium nucleus) is
produced by the cycle, so it converts
hydrogen to helium. As for the PP chain,
the energy released in the CNO cycle is
contained in the energy of the particles
and gamma rays produced in the steps
of the cycle.
 Triple Alpha Process
 Happens in red giant
star once they leave
the stage of main
sequence star.
 The combination or
fusion of three alpha
particles (helium nuclei
4
He) to form carbon
nucleus (12C).
 Triple Alpha Process

1. The triple-α process

begins when two 4He
nuclei fuse an unstable
8
Be nucleus.
 Triple Alpha Process

2. If this nucleus collides with

another 4He nucleus before it
breaks apart, the two will fuse to
form a nucleus of carbon-12 (12C).
 Triple Alpha Process

3. The energy released is carried

off both by the motion of the 12C
nucleus and a gamma ray.
A star accumulates
more mass and
continues to grow into
red super giant. Alpha
particle fusion happens
at its core and creates
more heavy elements
until elements called
Iron is formed. This
process is known as
Alpha ladder.
Alpha Ladder
 How are elements heavier
than Iron formed?
As the energy at the core of the star decreases,
nuclear fusion cannot produce elements higher than
Iron. Different pathway is needed for heavier
elements to be formed.

NEUTRON CAPTURE
NEUTRON CAPTURE
Neutron capture is a nuclear reaction in which an
atomic nucleus and one or more neutrons collide
and merge to form a heavier nucleus.
NEUTRON CAPTURE
Neutron capture is a nuclear reaction in which an
atomic nucleus and one or more neutrons collide
and merge to form a heavier nucleus.
NEUTRON CAPTURE
NEUTRON CAPTURE
S-process or slow process happens when there is
a slow rate of capturing neutron while there is a
faster rate of radioactive decay hence increasing the
proton by 1.
NEUTRON CAPTURE
R-process or rapid process means that there is
faster rate of capturing neutron before it undergoes
radioactive decay thus, more neutrons can be
combined at the nucleus. This is what happens in a
supernova forming heavier elements Than Iron with
the process known as supernova nucleosynthesis.
Periodic table showing the cosmogenic
origin of each element. The elements
heavier than iron with origins in dying
low-mass stars are typically those
produced by the s-process, which is
characterized by slow neutron diffusion
and capture over long periods in such
stars.
 ACTIVITY 1
Formation of Heavy Elements

Match the terms in column A with its description in

column B. Write the letter of the correct answer.
ACTIVITY 1
A. There is faster rate of
capturing neutron before it
undergoes radioactive
decay.
B. Nuclear fusion that
happens in red super
giant star and creates
heavier element such as
Iron.
ACTIVITY 1
C. It happens when there is a
slow rate of capturing
neutron while there is a
faster rate of radioactive
decay.
D. It is a process wherein
light elements such as
Helium and Hydrogen
formed.
ACTIVITY 1
E. This is how three Helium-
4 is converted into Carbon
in red giant star.
F. It is a process where
elements heavier than
Iron are formed.
G. It is a Nuclear fusion
reaction where Hydrogen
is converted to Helium
ACTIVITY 1
H. It is an addition of neutron
to form heavier nuclei.
I. It is a process by which
elements are created
within the star.
J. This happens in massive
star which converts
Hydrogen into Helium.
ANSWERS:
6
1
7
2
10
4
5
4
8
3
 PERFORMANCE TASK
Now, you have learned how stars are formed and
evolve from one stage to another and its connection
with heavy elements from Carbon through Iron. There
are many processes that stars have to undergo before
they evolve from one stage to another.

For your next task, you will write a story which relates
the events of your life from past, present and future to
the life cycle of a star. Use also those elements which
could symbolize something or anything in your story.
Thank You!