Physical Science

Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Formation of Elements
Physical Science – SHS
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 1: Formation of Elements
First Edition, 2020

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Physical Science
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Formation of Elements
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Physical Science SHS Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module -
Formation of Elements!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their
personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of the
module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module. You
also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage their
own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners as
they do the tasks included in the module.

i
For the learner:

Welcome to the Physical Science SHS Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module -
Formation of Elements!

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner is
capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and skills at
your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the

lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will

help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns.

Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your

level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

ii
 Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given
to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also tends retention of
learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in developing

this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not hesitate
to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

iii
 What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master
the formation of elements. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level
of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course.
But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the textbook
you are now using.

The module is divided into two lessons, namely:

• Lesson 1 – Formation of Light and Heavy Elements
• Lesson 2 – Atomic Number and Synthesis of New Elements

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. identify the different types of nuclear reactions;
2. explain how light elements are form through Big Bang Nucleosynthesis;
3. describe the evolution of stars;
4. give evidence for and describe the formation of heavier elements during star
formation and evolution; and
5. explain how the concept of atomic number led to the synthesis of new elements
in the laboratory.

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 What I Know

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. Which of the following best describes Big Bang Nucleosynthesis?

a. the unending expansion of the universe
b. the birth of elementary particles in the beginning of time
c. a hot plasma in which energy is distributed evenly all throughout
d. the formation of atomic nuclei through the combination of hadrons
during the Big Bang

2. Which of the following is a light element?

a. carbon
b. helium
c. iron
d. silicon

3. What phenomena leads to the formation of light elements?

a. black hole
b. big bang
c. cosmic ray collisions
d. supernovae

4. Deuterium and Tritium are isotopes of __________.

a. hydrogen
b. helium
c. lithium
d. beryllium

5. Which of the following is NOT correct: “Isotopes of the same element

__________.”?
a. have the same number of neutrons
b. contain the same number of electrons
c. have the same atomic number, but different atomic weights
d. have different number of neutrons, but the same number of protons

6. All of the following are classified under heavy elements, EXCEPT __________.
a. carbon
b. oxygen
c. silicon
d. lithium

For numbers 7 and 8, refer to the diagram below:

What isotopes are formed?

a. Beryllium-7
b. Carbon-12
c. Lithium-7
d. Nitrogen-14

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9. For main sequence stars, the general rule is: The higher the surface
temperature, the __________.
a. less luminous are the stars
b. more numerous are the stars
c. more common are binary stars
d. greater the masses of the stars

10. Which of the following describes stellar nucleosynthesis?

a. It is the process by which elements are formed within stars.
b. It is the formation of elements during a supernova explosion.
c. It is the process by which elements are produced in gas clouds.
d. It is the formation of light elements such as hydrogen and helium.

11. What do you call to the region of the stars when burning of elements occur?
a. core
b. fission shell
c. fusion shell
d. both b and c

12. In Mendeleev’s periodic law, which was his basis in classifying and arranging
elements in the periodic table?
a. atomic mass
b. atomic number
c. number of electrons
d. number of neutrons

13. In Döbereiner’s triads, how did he predict the classification of elements?

a. The atomic mass of the first element in the triad is the approximate
mean of the atomic masses of the second and third elements.
b. The atomic mass of the second element in the triad is the approximate
mean of the atomic masses of the first and third elements.
c. The atomic mass of the third element in the triad is the approximate
mean of the atomic masses of the first and second elements.
d. None of the above

14. Whose idea of classifying and arranging the elements in the periodic table is
being used up to the present time?
a. Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner
b. John Newlands
c. Dimitri Ivanovich Mendeleev
d. Henry Gwyn Jeffreys Moseley

15. Whose idea of classifying and arranging elements in the periodic table had the influence
from music?
a. Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner
b. John Newlands
c. Dimitri Ivanovich Mendeleev
d. Henry Gwyn Jeffreys Moseley

16. In Modern periodic law, which was his basis in classifying and arranging elements in
the periodic table?
a. atomic mass
b. atomic number
c. number of electrons
d. number of neutrons

17. Which element is being synthesized from bismuth through nuclear transmutation?
a. astatine
b. francium
c. promethium
d. technetium

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18. In 1939, which element is being synthesized from actinium through radioactivity
studies?
a. astatine
b. francium
c. promethium
d. technetium

19. Which element is being synthesized from molybdenum through nuclear transmutation?
a. astatine
b. francium
c. promethium
d. technetium

20. In 1945, which element is being synthesized from uranium through radioactivity
studies?
a. astatine
b. francium
c. promethium
d. technetium

vii
 Lesson
Formation of Light and
1 Heavy Elements
Elements are essential in the formation of matter. It originated from the expansion of
the universe 14 billion years ago which is called as the ‘Big bang’. During this event,
light elements were formed such as hydrogen and helium, together with small amounts
of lithium and beryllium through a series of nuclear fusion (combination process)
reactions that constitutes the fundamental energy source of stars, like the Sun. On the
other hand, heavier elements were from the moment when the cloud of dust and gases
from the Big bang cooled down that led to the formation of stars and galaxies.

What’s In

In the last module, you study the atoms and the sub-atomic particles. Before you
proceed to the lessons of the next module, take time to read the following major concepts
about atoms:

• Atom is the building block of matter. It has important sub-atomic particles

namely electrons, protons, and neutrons.

• Electrons are the negatively charged particles of an atom. In 1897, Joseph John
Thomson, a British physicist, discovered electrons through his cathode ray tube
experiment. However, even when Thomson identified the presence of electron in
his experiment. He was not able to determine what is the charge of electron until
Robert Milikan designed an experiment to measure the absolute value of the
charge of electron in his oil drop experiment.

• Protons are the positively charged particles of an atom. In 1909, it was discovered
by Ernst Rutherford in his famous gold foil experiment. In this experiment, he
noticed that most of the alpha particles pass through the foil without any
deflection. He therefore concluded that this region of the foil contains a positive
charge. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom also refer to the atomic
number.

• Neutrons are the uncharged particles of an atom. In 1932, James Chadwick

performed the same experiment as Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie but he used
many different targets of bombardment besides paraffin. By analyzing the
energies of different targets after bombardment he discovered the existence of a
new particle which is charge less and has similar mass to proton. This particle is
called neutron. In addition, the number of neutron and the number of protons in
the nucleus of an atom correspond to the atomic mass number.

viii
 Notes to the Teacher
The equation 𝑨𝒁𝑿 shows the number of protons (Z) and the
computation of mass number (A), combination of the number of
protons and the number of neutrons, in an element (X).

ix
 What’s New

The Big Bang Theory and the Formation of Light Elements

Based from the big bang theory, the universe went through a huge expansion 14
billion years ago. Back then, the universe is made of hot and dense particles with high
energies. As the universe expands, everything also cooled down, giving a way to the
formation of protons and neutrons.

Types of Nuclear Reactions

The formation of light elements during the big bang started from a more complex process
when nuclei are produced which is called Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. Nuclear reactions
are processes in which a nucleus either combines with another nucleus (through
nuclear fusion) or splits into smaller nuclei (through nuclear fission).

The following are the most common types of nuclear reactions, together with illustrative
examples.

• Alpha decay (𝜶-decay) is a type of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus

emits an alpha particle (helium nucleus) and thereby transforms or ‘decays’ into
a different atomic nucleus, with a mass number that is reduced by four and an
atomic number that is reduced by two.

210 206
Example: Alpha decay of polonium-210 84𝑃𝑜 → 82𝑃𝑏 + 42𝛼

• Beta decay (𝜷-decay) is a type of radioactive decay in which a beta particle (fast
energetic electron or positron) is emitted from an atomic nucleus, transforming
the original nuclide to an isobar (each of two or more isotopes of different
elements, with the same atomic weight).

14 14
Example: Beta decay of carbon-14 6𝐶 → 7𝑁 + −10𝛽

• Gamma radiation is a type of radioactivity in which some unstable atomic nuclei

dissipate excess energy by a spontaneous electromagnetic process. This often
happens after alpha or beta decay has occurred. Since only energy is emitted
during gamma decay, the number of protons remains the same.

Example: Gamma radiation in alpha decay of uranium-238

238 234 4
92𝑈 → 90𝑇ℎ + 2𝛼 (alpha decay)
234 234 0
90𝑇ℎ → 90𝑇ℎ + 0𝛾 (gamma radiation)

• Positron emission or beta plus decay (𝜷+ decay) is a subtype of radioactive

decay called beta decay, in which a proton inside a radionuclide nucleus is
converted into a neutron while releasing a positron (+10𝑒 ) and an electron neutrino
(νe).

15 15
Example: Positron emission of oxygen-15 8𝑂 → 7𝑁 + +10𝑒

x
 • Electron capture is a process that unstable atoms can use to become more
stable. During electron capture, an electron (−10𝑒 ) in an atom's inner shell is drawn
into the nucleus where it combines with a proton, forming a neutron and a
neutrino. The neutrino is ejected from the atom's nucleus.

201
Example: Electron capture of mercury-201 80𝐻𝑔 + −10𝑒 → 201
79𝐴𝑢

• Bombardment reactions involve the nucleus of the atom being bombarded

(hence the name) with particles from the nucleus or an entire nucleus. Examples
of the particles are neutrons and alpha particles. These reactions usually give off
a different particle than the one that they were bombarded with.

Example: Bombardment of beryllium with an alpha particle

9 4 12 1
4𝐵𝑒 + 2𝛼 → 6𝐶 + 0𝑛

Activity 1.1 Types of Nuclear Reactions

Part 1: Which among the given particles will complete the nuclear reaction below?
(10𝑛, 42𝛼 , −10𝛽 , +10𝑒 )
𝟐𝟐𝟔 𝟐𝟐𝟐
𝟖𝟖𝑹𝒂 → 𝟖𝟔𝑹𝒏 + _____

Part 2: Identify the type of nuclear reaction in each of the statements below.

1. 11
6𝐶 → 11
5𝐵 + +10𝑒 ____________________

201
2. 80𝐻𝑔 + −10𝑒 → 201
79𝐴𝑢 ____________________

238 238
3. 92𝑈 → 92𝑈 +𝛾 ____________________

231 231
4. 53𝐼 → 54𝑋𝑒 + −10𝛽 ____________________

238 234
5. 92𝑈 → 90𝑇ℎ + 42𝐻𝑒 ____________________

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 What is It

Big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), or also known as the primordial nucleosynthesis,

is a process where light elements were produced during the expansion of the universe.
An American cosmologist Ralph Alpher was able to prove the process of BBN through
his calculations on the proportions of protons and neutrons present in the early
universe. Also, with his right knowledge of these proportions, he was able to predict that
elements such as hydrogen and helium can be formed.

During the first three minutes of the rapid expansion of the universe, rapid cooling also
occurs, thus slowing down the sub-atomic particles, which provides more opportunities
for binding together to form light elements. Below are the detailed explanations of the
formation of light elements.

1. Deuterium (D), an isotope of hydrogen, as first formed from the fusion of a proton
and a neutron, accompanied by the emission of high-energy photon (𝛾 ).
𝑝 + 𝑛 → 2𝐻 + 𝛾

𝒑
𝒑 𝒏
+ → + photon
𝒏

deuterium

2. Tritium (T), or hydrogen-3, was produced from the fusion of two deuterium nuclei
and a release of a proton.
2
𝐻 + 2𝐻 → 3𝐻 + 𝑝

𝒑 𝒑 𝒑
𝒑
+ → +
𝒏 𝒏 𝒏 𝒏

tritium

3. Helium-3, an isotope of helium with one neutron and two protons, was formed from
the fusion of two deuterium nuclei and a release of a neutron.
2
𝐻 + 2𝐻 → 3𝐻𝑒 + 𝑛

𝒑 𝒑 𝒑
+ → + 𝒏
𝒏 𝒏 𝒏 𝒑

helium-3

xii
4. Helium-4 can be synthesized from deuterium and helium-3.
2
𝐻 + 3𝐻𝑒 → 4𝐻𝑒 + 𝑝

𝒑 𝒏
+ 𝒑 → +
𝒑
𝒑 𝒑
𝒏 𝒏 𝒑
𝒏

deuterium helium-3 helium-4

Also, He-4 can be formed when a deuterium fuses with a tritium atom.
2
𝐻 + 3𝐻 → 4𝐻𝑒 + 𝑛

𝒑 𝒏
+ 𝒑 → +
𝒏
𝒑 𝒑
𝒏 𝒏 𝒏
𝒏

deuterium tritium helium-4

5. Lithium-7, an unstable nucleus with three protons and four neutrons, was
produced from the nuclear fusion of helium-4 and tritium.
4
𝐻𝑒 + 3𝐻 → 7𝐿𝑖 + 𝛾

𝒏 𝒏
𝒏
𝒑
+ → 𝒑 𝒑 𝒑 + photon
𝒑 𝒑
𝒏 𝒏
𝒏 𝒏
𝒏

helium-4 tritium lithium-7

Lithium-7 decayed naturally to form two stable helium nuclei.
7
𝐿𝑖 + 𝑝 → 4𝐻𝑒 + 4𝐻𝑒

𝒏 𝒏 𝒏 𝒏

𝒑 𝒑 𝒑 + 𝒑 → 𝒑 𝒑 + 𝒑 𝒑

𝒏 𝒏 𝒏 𝒏

lithium-7 helium-4 helium-4

xiii
6. Beryllium-7 was produced from helium-3 and helium-4.
4
𝐻𝑒 + 3𝐻𝑒 → 7𝐵𝑒 + 𝛾

𝒏 𝒑 𝒑

+ 𝒑 → + photon
𝒑 𝒑 𝒏 𝒏 𝒏
𝒏 𝒑
𝒏 𝒑 𝒑

helium-4 helium-3 beryllium-7

Beryllium-7 also reacts with a neutron and decays to the unstable lithium-7, with
the subsequent release of a proton.
7
𝐵𝑒 + 𝑛 → 7𝐿𝑖 + 𝑝

𝒑 𝒑 𝒏 𝒏

𝒏 𝒏 𝒏 + 𝒏 → 𝒑 𝒑 𝒑 + 𝒑

𝒑 𝒑 𝒏 𝒏

beryllium-7 lithium-7

Isotopes. These are chemical elements that has the same number of protons but
different number of neutrons (that is, a greater or lesser atomic mass) than the
standard for that element.

For example: Carbon 12, Carbon-13, and Carbon-14 are isotopes

xiv
 What’s More

Activity 1.2 Formation of Light Elements

Directions: Write the composition of the atomic nuclei of the following light elements.
Illustrate each light element using colors RED for protons and BLUE for neutrons.

1. Deuterium 2. Tritium 3. Helium-3

No. of Protons _____ No. of Protons _____ No. of Protons _____
No. of Neutrons _____ No. of Neutrons _____ No. of Neutrons _____
Illustration Illustration Illustration

4. Helium-4 5. Lithium-7 6. Beryllium-7

No. of Protons _____ No. of Protons _____ No. of Protons _____
No. of Neutrons _____ No. of Neutrons _____ No. of Neutrons _____
Illustration Illustration Illustration

xv
 What’s New

Stellar Evolution and the Formation of Heavy Elements

Stars, which are giant balls mostly made of hydrogen and helium, act as sites for nuclear
reactions in the universe. Through the process, they are able to fuse light elements to
form heavier elements. These reactions also involve light emission, which is the reason
why stars are so bright.

Stages of Stellar Evolution

Outlined below are the many steps involved in a star’s evolution, from its formation in
a nebula, to its death as a white dwarf or neutron star.

• Nebula. It is a cloud of gas (hydrogen) and dust in space. Nebulae are the
birthplaces of stars.

• Star. It is a luminous globe of gas producing its own heat and light by nuclear
reactions (nuclear fusion).

• Red giant. It is a large bright star with a cool surface. It is formed during the
later stages of the evolution of an intermediate-mass star like the Sun, as it runs
out of hydrogen fuel at its center.

• Red dwarf. These are very cool, faint and small stars, approximately one tenth
the mass and diameter of the Sun.

• White dwarf. It is very small, hot star, the last stage in the life cycle of a star like
the Sun.

• Supernova. It is the explosive death of a star, and often results in the star
obtaining the brightness of 100 million suns for a short time.

• Neutron stars. These stars are composed mainly of neutrons and are produced
when a supernova explodes, forcing the protons and electrons to combine to
produce a neutron star. Neutron stars are very dense.

• Black holes. These are believed to form from massive stars at the end of their
lifetimes. The gravitational pull in a black hole is so great that nothing can escape
from it, not even light.

xvi
Activity 1.3 Stellar Evolution
Directions: Fill-in the diagram below that shows the life cycle of stars. Use the words
in the box.

Neutron star White dwarf

Planetary Nebula Red giant
Stellar nebula Black hole
Red Supergiant Supernova

(1)

Average-mass star High-mass star

star

(2) (5)

(3) (6)

(4) (7)

(8)

xvii
 What is It

As the universe continue to expand for several years, the cloud of hydrogen and helium
gases condensed to form stars. Over millions of years, the stars made of hydrogen
became hotter and denser. Moreover, during the process of stellar evolution, nuclear
reactions continued producing elements heavier than lithium. To form heavy elements
such as carbon, neon, oxygen, silicon, and iron, the light elements combined through
the process of stellar nucleosynthesis.

Formation of Heavy Elements

As hydrogen and helium were scattered in the universe during its expansion, these two
elements gave a way for the formation of heavy elements. Hydrogen initially fueled young
stars and through nuclear reactions, new elements are formed in certain regions or
layers of a star called the fusion shells.

When most of the hydrogen in the core is fused into helium, fusion stops and the
pressure in the core decreases. Gravity squeezes the star to a point that helium-
hydrogen burning occur. Thus, converting helium into carbon.

When the majority of the helium in the core has been converted to carbon, the rate of
alpha fusion processes decreases. Gravity again squeezes the star. The star goes
through a series of stages where heavier elements are fused in the core and in the shells
around the core. The element neon is formed from carbon fusion; oxygen from neon
fusion; silicon from oxygen fusion; and iron from silicon fusion. The star then becomes
a multiple-shell red giant. The figure below shows an illustration of a multiple-shell red
giant.

Figure 1. Multiple-Shell Red Giant

Supernova Nucleosynthesis
During the stellar nucleosynthesis, burning of fusion shells can only from heavy
elements up to iron. If stellar nucleosynthesis produced elements only up to iron, then
how do elements heavier than iron are formed?

xviii
Synthesis of heavier nuclei happened via neutron or proton capture processes.

• In neutron capture, a neutron is added to a seed of nucleus. The addition of

neutron produces a heavier isotope of element. 𝐴𝑍𝑋 + 10𝑛 → 𝐴+1
𝑍𝑌

For example, iron-56 captures three neutrons to produces iron-59.

56
26𝐹𝑒 + 3 10𝑛 → 59
26𝐹𝑒

The generated isotope, when unstable undergoes beta decay. This decay will
result to an increase in proton of the nucleus by 1. Hence, a heavier nucleus is
formed. 𝐴𝑍𝑋 → 𝑍+1𝐴𝑌 + −10𝛽

Beta decay results in the formation of a new element.

For example, the unstable iron-59 undergoes beta decay to produce cobalt-59.
56 59 0
26𝐹𝑒 + 27𝐶𝑜 → −1𝛽

Neutron capture can be slow or rapid. Slow neutron capture or s-process

happens when there is a small number of neutron. It is termed slow because the
rate of the neutron capture is slow compared to the rate of beta decay. Therefore,
if a beta decay occurs, it almost always occurs before another neutron is
captured.

Rapid neutron capture or r-process happens when there is a large umber of

neutrons. It is termed rapid because the rate of neutron capture is fast that an
unstable nucleus may still be combined with another neutron just before it
undergoes beta decay. The r-process is associated with a supernova. The
temperature of a supernova is tremendously high that the neutrons are moving
very fast. Because of their speed, they can immediately combine with the already
heavy isotopes. This type of nucleosynthesis is also called as the supernova
nucleosynthesis.

• Proton capture or p-process is the addition of a proton in a nucleus. It happens

after a supernova, when there is a tremendous amount of energy available. It is
because the addition of a proton to the nucleus is not favorable because of
Coulombic repulsion, which is the repulsive force between particles with the
same charge. Proton capture produces a heavier nucleus that is different from
the seed nucleus. 𝐴𝑍𝑋 + 11𝑝 → 𝐴+1
𝑍+1𝑌 + 𝛾

For example, molybdenum-94 undergoes proton capture to produce

technetium-95.
94
42𝑀𝑜 + 11𝑝 → 95
43𝑇𝑐 +𝛾

xix
 What’s More

Activity 1.4 Formation of Heavy Elements

Directions: Draw a star showing the fusion shells. After which, state the sequence of
the formation of heavy elements during stellar evolution based on your drawing.

State the sequence of how heavy elements are formed during stellar evolution.

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 What I Have Learned

1. The big bang theory is a cosmological model that describes how the universe
started its expansion about 13.8 billion years ago.
2. Big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), also known as primordial nucleosynthesis, is
the process of producing light elements during the big bang expansion.
3. Nuclear reactions are involved in the formation of light and heavy elements.
4. The correlation between the predicted and observed cosmic abundances of
hydrogen and helium was the major proof of the big bang theory.
5. Stellar nucleosynthesis is the process by which elements are formed within stars.
6. The primary factor that determines how stars evolve is mass.
7. The star formation theory proposes that stars form due to the collapse of the
dense regions of a molecular cloud.
8. Stellar evolution is the process by which a star changes during its lifetime.
9. Heavy elements such as carbon, oxygen, silicon, neon, and oxygen are formed in
stellar evolution.
10. Elements heavier than iron are formed through supernova nucleosynthesis by
the process of neutron and proton captures.

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 What I Can Do

Directions: Based on the scenario, imagine that you are an ingredient in a nuclear
reaction. In order to form light or heavy element, determine the remaining ingredient/s
to be combined/added with you to attain the expected output/element.

1. You are a proton needed to produce beryllium-7. How may additional neutrons and
protons do you need to produce the said element?
2. You are a neutron needed to produce helium-4. How may additional neutrons and
protons do you need to produce the said element?
3. You are a proton needed to produce tritium. How may additional neutrons and
protons do you need to produce the said element?
4. You are an element capable of producing oxygen when fused with you own kind,
which element are you?
5. You are an element capable of producing silicon when fused with you own kind,
which element are you?

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 Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. Which type of nuclear reaction often happens after alpha or beta decay has
occurred and since only energy is emitted, the number of protons remains the
same?
a. alpha decay
b. beta decay
c. gamma decay
d. positron emission

2. Which type of nuclear reaction is also known as beta plus decay in which a proton
inside a radionuclide nucleus is converted into a neutron while releasing a
positron and an electron neutrino?
a. alpha decay
b. beta decay
c. gamma decay
d. positron emission

3. Which light element is produced from helium-3 and helium-4?

a. beryllium-7
b. deuterium
c. lithium-7
d. tritium

4. Which light element is formed when a deuterium fuses with a tritium atom?
a. deuterium
b. helium-3
c. helium-4
d. lithium-7

5. Which light element was produced from the fusion of two deuterium nuclei and
a release of a proton?
a. beryllium-7
b. helium-4
c. lithium-7
d. tritium

6. Which refers to the cloud of gas (hydrogen) and dust in space and serves as the
birthplace of a star?
a. blackhole
b. nebula
c. neutron star
d. supernova

7. Which refers to stars that are composed mainly of neutrons and are produced
when a supernova explodes, forcing the protons and electrons to combine?
a. blackhole
b. nebula
c. neutron star
d. supernova

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8. Which refers to the explosive death of a star?
a. blackhole
b. nebula
c. neutron star
d. supernova

9. Based on stellar nucleosynthesis, which heavy element is formed from carbon

fusion?
a. iron
b. neon
c. oxygen
d. silicon

10. Based on stellar nucleosynthesis, which heavy element is formed from silicon
fusion?
a. iron
b. neon
c. oxygen
d. silicon

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 Additional Activities

In a short bond paper, make a short synthesis or summary of the key points of the
video-discussion of Professor Ramon Carlo Cruzpero of the University of the Philippines
about the formation of elements. The paper will be submitted to your teacher during the
face to face interaction

Video title: UP TALKS | Nucleosynthesis: Formation of the Elements

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgBo-bCVijQ

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