Question

1. use the periodic table to locate the eight elements in this activity. fill out their atomic masses in the table below.

	h	ca	ne	na	li	mg	he	fe

1. look at the table in question 3. what is the relationship between atomic mass and the number of stars with that element? what happens if the mass is greater compared to smaller?
2. develop a hypothesis that explains why the elements identified in question 2 are found in all of the tested stars. what do the elements have in common?

Explanation:

Step1: Locate H on periodic table

Atomic mass of H is approximately 1 u.

Step2: Locate Ca on periodic table

Atomic mass of Ca is approximately 40.08 u.

Step3: Locate Ne on periodic table

Atomic mass of Ne is approximately 20.18 u.

Step4: Locate Na on periodic table

Atomic mass of Na is approximately 22.99 u.

Step5: Locate Li on periodic table

Atomic mass of Li is approximately 6.94 u.

Step6: Locate Mg on periodic table

Atomic mass of Mg is approximately 24.31 u.

Step7: Locate He on periodic table

Atomic mass of He is approximately 4.00 u.

Step8: Locate Fe on periodic table

Atomic mass of Fe is approximately 55.85 u.

For question 4, in general, lighter - mass elements like hydrogen and helium are more abundant in stars because they are the products of the Big - Bang nucleosynthesis and are the starting materials for stellar fusion. Heavier elements are produced through processes like stellar nucleosynthesis and supernova explosions. As the atomic mass increases, the number of stars with a high abundance of that element generally decreases, but elements like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen (not in this list but common in stars) are also relatively abundant due to stellar fusion processes.

For question 5, a hypothesis could be that the common elements in stars are those that are easily formed through nuclear fusion processes in the star's core. Hydrogen and helium are the most common as they are the starting materials for fusion. Other elements like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen are formed through successive fusion reactions. The commonality is that they are products of nuclear reactions that occur under the extreme conditions of a star's interior.

Answer:

	H	Ca	Ne	Na	Li	Mg	He	Fe

For question 4: Lighter - mass elements are more abundant in stars; heavier elements are less abundant in general but some are produced in stars through fusion and supernova processes.
For question 5: A hypothesis is that common elements in stars are products of nuclear fusion processes in the star's core, with commonality being their origin from nuclear reactions in extreme stellar conditions.