this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 68 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Real question: Is the decay of uranium the only natural way to produce lead? If so TIL.

[–] [email protected] 106 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

Instructions unclear. Got diagnosed with lead poisoning

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 weeks ago

That's what happens when you get a MBA

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago

Instructions unclear. ~~Got~~ God diagnosed with lead poisoning

Well, that certainly explains the platypus!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago

Woah, this is heavy!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

Booooooo (jk lol)

[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Iron is the heaviest element capable of being created inside stars, via fusion. Once iron is fused, the star begins to rapidly collapse.

Elements heavier than iron (28) are the result of supernova explosions, which produce energies high enough to create these heavier atoms. It is further possible, as described in the image, for very heavy elements to decay into lighter more stable elements, those still being heavier than iron.

Lead is 82.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's what I learned in school, but there's been some research since suggesting stars produces significant quantities of elements up to lead during their lifetimes, even though it's a net energy loss.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-process

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

Interesting. Of note, this process would mainly be in a very specific kind of star, and still would depend on an iron "seed" leftover from a previous supernova. Technically, still requires a "regular" supernova.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 month ago

No. Nucleosynthesis of lead within stars generated from supernovae make up the bulk of the existing lead on Earth. Uranium decay does provide some additional lead inventory but would be fairly small in comparison.

But the presence of it in the first place within second generation stars proves that lead is billions of years old.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago

When supernovas explode they're responsible for most exotic elements larger than iron. So it's either that or radioactive decay.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

No. God can produce as much lead as he wants. Duh!