Verified Solution • 2025–26 Session moderate

QPage 440: Q12: HC Verma: Concepts of Physics - Volume 2 The Nucleus Page 440: Q12 Solution: If three helium nuclei combine to form a carbon nucleus, energy …

If three helium nuclei combine to form a carbon nucleus, energy is liberated. Why can't helium nuclei combine on their own and minimise the energy?

Step-by-Step Verified Solution

**Answer:** Helium nuclei cannot combine on their own because of the Coulomb repulsion between them. **Step-by-Step Explanation:** Three helium nuclei (alpha particles) each carry a positive charge of +2e. To fuse them into a carbon nucleus, they must overcome the strong **Coulomb repulsion** between them. At ordinary temperatures, their thermal kinetic energy is far too small to overcome this barrier. Only at extremely high temperatures (like in stellar cores) can they approach close enough for the short-range attractive nuclear force to take over. Hence, they cannot combine spontaneously at room temperature[citation:1][citation:7].

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