Proton–proton chain

Imagine you have two big balls - let's call them "protons". These two protons really like each other, so much so that they want to be closer to each other. But there's a problem - they're both positively charged, so they actually repel each other like magnets.

Now, let's add another proton. This proton has a special name - "deuterium". Deuterium is a bit different than a regular proton because it has another little thing inside it called a "neutron" that helps it stick together with other protons.

So, these two regular protons get really close to the deuterium proton, and the neutron inside the deuterium stick to one of the regular protons. It's like they're hugging each other really tightly.

Now we have something called "helium-3". It's like a bigger proton with two little friends, a neutron and another proton.

The helium-3 and another regular proton get really close, and they merge together to create "helium-4". Helium-4 is like a big happy family with two protons and two neutrons all stuck together.

But, something magical happens when these protons and helium nuclei stick together. They release a ton of energy, kind of like a firework going off. This energy is what powers the sun and other stars.

So, the proton-proton chain is like a game of atomic ballet - protons and helium nuclei coming together and breaking apart to release energy and keep the stars burning bright.