Stellar smashup creates elements
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article “Strontium found in neutron star crash.”
Educator Guide: Strontium Found in Neutron Star Crash
Finding the heavy element strontium in the afterglow of a neutron star merger (illustrated) provides the most direct evidence yet that these collisions set off an exotic chain of chemical reactions called the r-process.
University of Warwick, Mark Garlick, ESO
About this guide
This guide, based on the Science News article “Strontium found in neutron star crash,” asks students to explore how elements are created. An activity from the Digital Library will help students understand the life cycle of stars and how stars produce various elements.
This Guide Includes:
How are elements created?
Students will explore how elements are created — in nature and in the lab — while focusing on the concepts of atomic structure, stability and stellar evolution.
The pressure to be a star
To better understand the life cycle of stars, students will estimate the conditions involved in stars and element formation.