Here's the breakdown:
* The primary reaction: Four hydrogen nuclei (protons) fuse together to form one helium nucleus. This process releases a tremendous amount of energy.
* The process: This fusion doesn't happen in a single step. It involves a series of reactions, the most important being the proton-proton chain reaction.
* The byproducts: In addition to helium, the fusion process also produces positrons, neutrinos, and gamma rays.
While the Sun primarily fuses hydrogen into helium, there are also trace amounts of heavier elements being produced through other fusion reactions. However, these reactions are much less common than the primary hydrogen-to-helium fusion.
