Question

background information: stars are mostly made of hydrogen and helium. they are the two most abundant elements in the entire universe. hydrogen is the smallest and most abundant element that includes three different kinds of isotopes. isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons. protium, the most common hydrogen isotope found on earth, contains 1 proton and 0 neutrons. deuterium contains 1 proton and 1 neutron, and tritium contains 1 proton and 2 neutrons. throughout its life, a star generates new elements by fusing atoms together in its core. \every second of the day, 63 billion tons of fast - moving hydrogen atoms are turned into helium as they slam together within the 15,000,000 k core of the sun\ (tyson). temperatures are so hot and pressures are so intense inside stars that atoms move extremely fast and crash into each other and sometimes they fuse. deuterium and tritium (isotopes of hydrogen) are fused together to make helium, which is an element that contains 2 protons and 2 neutrons. materials: periodic table of elements 1 marshmallow = 1 hydrogen nucleus or 1 proton paper towel and bowls pasta = gamma rays/energy procedure: 1. take out one marshmallow. how many hydrogen atoms does this represent? 2. take out an additional marshmallow. these two marshmallows now represent the nucleus of two hydrogen atoms. 3. nuclear fusion usually occurs with two nuclei at a time. put your hands together with the marshmallows inside. pretend your hands are the core of a star. temperatures are so hot and pressures are so intense inside stars that atoms move extremely fast and crash into each other and sometimes they fuse. crush your hands together and say the words
uclear fusion!\ and make the two hydrogen isotopes fuse together. place the new element on the paper towel. which element have you made? 4. nuclear fusion does not just generate new heavier elements. each time two elements lighter than iron fuse, the reaction releases energy in the form of gamma - ray radiation. take out a piece of pasta and place it in front of you to represent the energy released when the two hydrogen isotopes were fused together. 5. repeat this process until there are three helium atoms on the paper towel. how many total protons are now on the towel? three helium atoms = protons 6. take two of the helium atoms and smash them together and set out a gamma - ray piece (pasta). 7. then smash the last helium atom into that and set out another gamma - ray piece. how many protons are now in the nucleus of the new atom that has been created? 8. use the periodic table to figure out which new element you have just made. hint: which element on the periodic table has this many protons?

Explanation:

Step1: Recall number of protons in Helium

Each Helium atom has 2 protons.

Step2: Calculate total protons for 3 Helium atoms

If 1 Helium atom has 2 protons, then for 3 Helium atoms, we multiply the number of protons per atom by the number of atoms. So, $2\times3 = 6$ protons.

Step3: Calculate protons in new - formed atom from 3 Helium atoms

When we combine 3 Helium atoms (each with 2 protons), the total number of protons in the new - formed atom is the sum of protons from all 3 Helium atoms. So, $2 + 2+2=6$ protons.

Step4: Identify the element using the number of protons

Looking at the periodic table, the element with 6 protons is Carbon.

Answer:

1. 1 hydrogen atom
2. Helium
3. 6; 6
4. 6
5. Carbon