how are elements made?
In: 5
In stars.
Free floating protons, neutrons, and electrons quickly grab each other to form hydrogen and helium.
Stars “burn” hydrogen and helium via fusion, forming bigger and bigger elements up as far as iron. Fusion stops at iron.
Then stars die or blow up. Either way, the resulting death rams a bunch of elementary particles together at ludicrous speed/pressure, fusing them into the elements higher than iron.
Some of those are unstable and later break down (fission) into smaller elements, which creates more.
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