The process of element atoms fusing together to form heavier elements is called nuclear fusion. In order for fusion to occur, there needs to be a lot of heat and pressure. In the universe the most common place for nuclear fusion to occur is in stars. It is the power of stars.
Stars start off by fusing hydrogen into helium. Then depending on there size they also create other elements. They create the 12 most common elements: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, argon, calcium, titanium, chromium, and iron. Theses 12 elements make up over 96% of the earth’s mass. After hydrogen and helium they are the most abundant elements in our universe. All these elements and more are created by the power of stars.
When smaller stars come to the end of their life cycle they create a planetary nebula. It happens when a star blows off its outer layers because it ran out of fuel. This is one way elements are released into the universe.
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