Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

Which statement is NOT true regarding the fusion reaction that occurs in the sun's core?

1. Electrons are released as a product of the fusion reaction.

2. The mass of the products is less than the mass of the reactants.

3. Six photons are emitted as a product of the fusion reaction.

4. Four hydrogen atoms combine to form a single helium atom.

The correct answer is: Electrons are released as a product of the fusion reaction.

The correct choice highlights a misunderstanding of the fusion process that occurs in the sun's core. During nuclear fusion, particularly in the proton-proton chain reaction, four hydrogen nuclei (protons) do indeed combine to form one helium nucleus, which results in the release of energy. However, this process does not involve the release of electrons as a direct product of the fusion reaction. While it is true that some reactions involving hydrogen can produce positrons (the antimatter counterpart of electrons), the main fusion products of interest in the core reactions are helium, neutrinos, and energy in the form of photons. Therefore, asserting that electrons are released as a product of the fusion reaction is misleading, as the primary fusion process does not result in the release of free electrons. In contrast, the other statements correctly describe aspects of the fusion process. The mass of the products is indeed less than the mass of the reactants due to the mass-energy equivalence principle (where the lost mass is converted into energy). The reaction does emit photons, and specifically, six photons are produced as energy is released during the various steps of the fusion reactions leading to the formation of helium from hydrogen.