Quiz:

¼ sheet of paper
1-2. Who were the
two most important
physicists in Ancient
Greece?
3. Who is the philosopher
argued that there was an
infinite number of elementary
natural substances in the form
of of infinitesimally small
particles combined to comprise
the different things in the
universe?
4. Who believed that the
four elements could be
balanced in substances
when combined gave
proportions of “essential
qualities”?
5. Who stated that each
four kinds of matter is
composed of geometrical
solids?
6. Who stated that
everything is made up of
four eternal & unchanging
kinds of matter?
7 – 10. What are the four
kinds of matter/elements?
 ANSWERS:
1.Leucippus
2. Democritus
3. Anaxagoras
4. Aristotle
5. Plato
6. Empedocles
7. Fire
8. Air
9. Water
10. Earth
TRIPLE ALPHA PROCESS
BY: ARGIE JOY MARIE G. AMPOL
ACTIVITY: Locate the elements below & determine the
atomic number & round off the atomic mass number

ELEMENT ATOMIC NUMBER MASS NUMBER SYMBOL

1.Ne
2. Mg
3. Si
4. P
5. S
6. Fe
 Triple alpha process
-Occurs when the core temperature of the star
is 100 million Kelvin & its mass is M>0.4 Msun.
4
-Fusion of three alpha particles ( He) to form
carbon atom (12C)
-Was proposed by EDWIN SALPETER in 1952
 Equation:

4He + 4He 8Be

8Be + 4He 12C + 0¥
0
 The process:

-The process begins when 2 He nuclei combine

to form Be.
-The reaction is reversible
- Be will eventually decay to 2 He & captures
He, C is formed with the emission of gamma
particles.
 6C
+
12 12 C 16 O + 2 4 He
6 8 2
12 C + 12 C 20 Ne + 4 He
6 6 10 2
12 C + 12 C 23 Na + 1 He
6 6 11 1
12 C +
6
12 C
6
24 Na
12 + ¥
12C + 4He 16O+ ¥0
16O + 4He 20Ne + ¥
0
CARBON BURNING
• Oxygen, Neon, Sodium & Magnesium are
formed
• Carbon, the main atom fused to form
another element
• Synthesized during the triple alpha
process
OXYGEN BURNING

•Synthesis of elements
heavier than Magnesium
16 O + 16 O 32 S + ¥
8 8 16
Nucleosynthesis of Sulfur: Silicon Burning

28
14 Si + 2
4He 32
16 S +¥
32 S + 4 He 36 Ar +¥
16 2 18

The process continues up to Cr

Nuclear Fusion
52
24 Cr + 4
2 He 56
26 Fe +¥