Cosmic Queries – Astrochemistry with Kate the Chemist
StarTalk Radio
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What's the Atomic Binding Energy?
In general, when we get to iron, it's like we run out of fuel. Iron has a really high binding energy. And so those protons, electrons, neutrons are really held into that atom. Once you hit iron, now you cannot change the atom structure as easily. You cannot force iron to turn into another atom as easily because it takes too much energy. In a supernova explosion, there's so much energy available that it doesn't matter that you're endothermic.
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