What is a star mainly or 99 percent made of?
Correct answer to the quiz question
Hydrogen
A star consists mainly of hydrogen.
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Detailed answer to the quiz question
A star consists mainly of hydrogen. About 99% of the mass of a typical star consists of hydrogen. Hydrogen is the simplest and most abundant chemical element in the universe. The fusion of hydrogen to helium in the core of a star is the process that is the main energy source of a star and produces the starlight.
Extreme conditions of temperature and pressure prevail inside a star, enabling the fusion of hydrogen into helium. This fusion releases enormous amounts of energy that illuminate and heat the star. The remaining 1% of a star’s mass consists mainly of helium and traces of heavier elements such as oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and metals.
The composition of stars varies depending on their stage of development and their size. Smaller stars such as red dwarfs may consist mainly of hydrogen and helium, while larger stars may have more heavier elements in their outer layers that were produced by previous generations of stars.
