But when the final collapse occurs, the net resulting black hole is theoretically more mass than the planet was in its entirety. I realize that the hydrogen gets converted to other elements including helium, carbon, sulfur and eventually iron, but each of these transitions can't be free - energy...
Stars have mass. This mass has a gravitational pull. The nuclear fission of the star pushes against the effects of gravity. Why doesn't the gravity reduce as the star burns more and more of the hydrogen/helium/carbon that it's made up of? In other words, how can a black hole be created when the...