Question

The process that mainly takes place in stars to produce energy:

• A. nuclear fission
• B. nuclear fusion
• C. ionization
• D. annihilation

Hint:

Nuclear fusion in stars involves processes like the proton-proton chain or CNO cycle, converting hydrogen into helium and releasing energy.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

We need to identify the primary process responsible for energy production in stars.
Step 1: Understand energy production in stars. Stars produce energy through nuclear reactions in their cores, primarily depending on their mass and evolutionary stage.
Step 2: Identify the dominant process. In most stars, like the Sun, the primary process is nuclear fusion, where hydrogen nuclei fuse to form helium, releasing energy via \( E = mc^2 \).
Step 3: Evaluate the options.
- Nuclear fission: Incorrect, as it involves splitting heavy nuclei, typical in nuclear reactors, not stars.
- Nuclear fusion: Correct, as it’s the main energy source in stars.
- Ionization: Incorrect, as it doesn’t produce significant energy.
- Annihilation: Incorrect, as matter-antimatter annihilation is not significant in stars. Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{nuclear fusion}} \]