The helium flash converts three helium nuclei to what heavier element?
A.beryllium
B.boron
C.lithium
D.carbon
E.iron
Carbon. Carbon has six protons, obtained from three helium nuclei.
http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/ast122/lectures/lec16.html
A
To answer this question, you can refer to a reliable source such as the University of Oregon's Astronomy course lecture notes (http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/ast122/lectures/lec16.html).
According to the lecture notes, the helium flash is a stage in the life cycle of low-mass stars, where the core of the star becomes hot enough to ignite helium fusion. During this process, three helium nuclei combine to form a heavier element. The options provided are beryllium, boron, lithium, carbon, and iron.
To determine which of these elements is formed in the helium flash, you need to know the number of protons in the resulting element. Since helium nuclei each contain two protons, three helium nuclei combined would have a total of six protons.
By comparing the number of protons with the options provided, you can see that the only element with six protons is carbon. Therefore, the correct answer is D. carbon.