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Irfan Nafi
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When 2 protons fuse in a star, does the fusion rely on how strong the gravitational pressure is from the star so it gets past the strong force so the nuclei fuse or the temperature because of the pressure or both?
Gravity contributes to the hot and dense interior of stars, but not directly to fusion. The interior is hot, so the protons have a high kinetic energy. This allows them to come close to each other randomly. A tiny fraction of those close encounters leads to fusion due to the weak and strong interaction.Irfan Nafi said:When 2 protons fuse in a star, does the fusion rely on how strong the gravitational pressure is from the star so it gets past the strong force so the nuclei fuse or the temperature because of the pressure or both?
Fusion occurs when the strong force is exceeded because it is the only force that can overcome the electrostatic repulsion between positively charged nuclei in order to bring them close enough to fuse together.
The strong force is responsible for binding protons and neutrons together in the nucleus of an atom. This strong binding force is what allows fusion to occur when nuclei are brought close enough together.
No, it is not possible for fusion to occur without exceeding the strong force. The strong force is the only force that can overcome the repulsive electrostatic force between positively charged nuclei and bring them close enough to fuse together.
No, fusion cannot occur without the presence of the strong force. The strong force is necessary for binding nuclei together and without it, fusion cannot occur.
The strength of the strong force directly impacts fusion reactions. If the strong force is not strong enough, fusion cannot occur. The stronger the force, the more likely it is for fusion to occur between nuclei.