Why do high mass stars die in a supernova?

Explanation:

High mass stars die in a supernova because they engage in a series of nuclear fusion reactions of elements progressively heavier than hydrogen and helium. As these stars continue to fuse elements into heavier ones, they eventually form an iron core. Iron fusion, unlike fusion of lighter elements, consumes energy instead of releasing it, which leads to a lack of outward pressure to counteract gravity. When the iron core's mass surpasses the Chandrasekhar limit yet remains under 3 solar masses, it collapses, causing a catastrophic supernova explosion. This explosion not only disseminates the star's outer layers into space but also generates elements heavier than iron through rapid neutron capture - a process essential for nucleosynthesis of the universe.