Demonstration of Proton Proton Chain

Wet sponges are used to demonstrate the proton-proton chain (source of energy for stars throughout most of their existence as stars) with different colored sponges for Protons and Neutrons and squeezing the sponges to represent the release of energy. At sufficiently high speed two protons can collide. One proton turns into a neutron and now you have a molecule that is a proton and a neutron. A third proton can collide leaving you with two protons and two neutrons in the molecule (Helium-3). Two Helium-3 molecules can collide and two protons fly off from the resulting molecule. The final molecule is Helium-4, two protons and two neutrons: the final state of the proton proton chain. The steps to get to Helium-4 release energy and this is the source of the power of the fusion that powers a star.