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How do stars produce light?
Stars produce light when small nuclei fuse and absorb energy.
Stars produce light when small nuclei fuse and release energy.
Stars produce light when small nuclei split apart and absorb energy.
Stars produce light when small nuclei split apart and release energ
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Correct choice: "Stars produce light when small nuclei fuse and release energy."
Brief explanation: In most stars (including the Sun) hydrogen nuclei fuse into helium in the core. The fused helium has slightly less mass than the sum of the original protons; the mass difference is converted to energy (E = mc^2). That energy heats the core, produces high‑energy photons and energetic particles, and after many scatterings the energy reaches the surface and is emitted as starlight. Larger stars may use the CNO cycle or fuse heavier elements in later stages; fission (splitting nuclei) is not the primary energy source in normal stars.
Brief explanation: In most stars (including the Sun) hydrogen nuclei fuse into helium in the core. The fused helium has slightly less mass than the sum of the original protons; the mass difference is converted to energy (E = mc^2). That energy heats the core, produces high‑energy photons and energetic particles, and after many scatterings the energy reaches the surface and is emitted as starlight. Larger stars may use the CNO cycle or fuse heavier elements in later stages; fission (splitting nuclei) is not the primary energy source in normal stars.
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