Forming Elements Heavier Than Iron

Why have people historically valued gold so highly?

• Because it is a good conductor of electricity.

• Because it is easy to find.

• Because it is incredibly rare.

• Because it is very useful in daily life.

What is the primary use of most of the gold extracted throughout human history?

• Electronics

• Industrial applications

• Currency

• Jewelry

Which of the following elements is not mentioned as being valuable?

• Gold

• Silver

• Platinum

• Iron

Why are heavy elements scarce in the universe?

• They are only created under rare conditions.

• They are destroyed by stars.

• They are used up quickly.

• They are not formed naturally.

How often do the conditions to create heavy elements exist in a galaxy of 100 billion stars?

• Less than a minute in every century

• Once every decade

• Once every millennium

• Once every year

What is the minimum mass a star must have to create large amounts of heavy elements?

• Five times the mass of our sun

• Nine times the mass of our sun

• Fifteen times the mass of our sun

• Twenty times the mass of our sun

What happens to the core of a star in its final stages?

• It falls in on itself with enormous speed.

• It cools down slowly.

• It becomes a black hole.

• It expands rapidly.

What temperature is generated when the blast wave collides with the outer layers of a star?

• 100 billion degrees

• 100 million degrees

• 10 million degrees

• 1 billion degrees

What is the name of the most powerful explosion in the universe?

• Supernova

• Meganova

• Hypernova

• Nova

Select the correct order of the life stages of a high mass star.

• protostar, main sequence, supergiant, neutron star OR black hole

• neutron star, main sequence, red giant

• protostar, main sequence, red giant, white dwarf

• white dwarf, black dwarf, red giant, main sequence