a thousand starships like Enterprise to blow up a planet

[theta_pinch]

Crust: Made of silicates; endothermic fusion reaction.
Mantle: Made of silicates; endothermic fusion reaction.
Core: primarily iron; endothermic fusion reaction.
A fusion reaction won't work to destroy the planet because the bulk of the materials when fused give a net energy loss.

1) Did you watch the episode of Sci-Fi Science that I sent you the youtube addresses because as they explain it better.

Yes.

2) The lighter the element used as fuel, the more energy you get out of the fusion reaction, and it is not until you start fusing iron that you get a net loss.

True, but as you get heavier you get less energy and less net energy gain if even that.
It's at iron that no matter how efficient you can fuse the materials it won't produce net energy gain, but even that can happen below iron if your process isn't efficient enough

3) I'm not sure you even need to start a fusion reaction, and if you did, you'd have a star that was going to go nova.

Yes; it would be a better idea to just use force rather fusion.

4) When a star dies it fuses things heavier the iron, and yet still goes nova.

That's because of the way a supernova happens:
1. Star starts fusing elements into iron.
2. Core is iron.
3. No energy is holding back gravity.
4. Star implodes.
5. when it hits the solid iron core it bounces back and explodes.
The elements heavier than iron are being produced yet the star goes nova because that loss of energy holding back gravity is what triggers the supernova.

[Lucky]

Yes.

Good, then you understand we are talking about a complex chainreaction that involves compressing the planet, and then letting it bounce back.

True, but as you get heavier you get less energy and less net energy gain if even that.
It's at iron that no matter how efficient you can fuse the materials it won't produce net energy gain, but even that can happen below iron if your process isn't efficient enough

And it is those heavier elements fusing that cause the star to go nova or supernova in spite of gravity being far stronger then an Earth like planet.

I don't know how to calculate the described event, and you haven't shown you know how to. Why do you keep assuming something is off about the conclusion in the show?

Yes; it would be a better idea to just use force rather fusion.

Compressing a planet to the point of fusion may not be needed, but I don't even know where to look to find something to explain in detail.

That's because of the way a supernova happens:
1. Star starts fusing elements into iron.
2. Core is iron.
3. No energy is holding back gravity.
4. Star implodes.
5. when it hits the solid iron core it bounces back and explodes.
The elements heavier than iron are being produced yet the star goes nova because that loss of energy holding back gravity is what triggers the supernova.

And what is described is an implosion that results in the planet ripping itself apart.

[theta_pinch]

Yes.

Good, then you understand we are talking about a complex chainreaction that involves compressing the planet, and then letting it bounce back.

True, but as you get heavier you get less energy and less net energy gain if even that.
It's at iron that no matter how efficient you can fuse the materials it won't produce net energy gain, but even that can happen below iron if your process isn't efficient enough

And it is those heavier elements fusing that cause the star to go nova or supernova in spite of gravity being far stronger then an Earth like planet.[/quote]
Exactly; that's because nothing is left to hold back gravity so it implodes then bounces back.

I don't know how to calculate the described event, and you haven't shown you know how to. Why do you keep assuming something is off about the conclusion in the show?

I'm not assuming something is off about the conclusion of the show; I'm saying that to actually do what is described would require an unrealistic amount of matter being fused to power the lasers.

Yes; it would be a better idea to just use force rather fusion.

Compressing a planet to the point of fusion may not be needed, but I don't even know where to look to find something to explain in detail.[/quote]

[Lucky]

Exactly; that's because nothing is left to hold back gravity so it implodes then bounces back.

And L.A.S.E.R. replace gravity in this case just like in the N.I.F.

I'm not assuming something is off about the conclusion of the show; I'm saying that to actually do what is described would require an unrealistic amount of matter being fused to power the lasers.

Building a Death Star is a pointlessly absurd waste of resources.

Blowing up something like the Earth or Alderaan is pointless overkill hence why Wesley Crusher finds it sad when he visits such a planet.

The practicality is irrelevant when speculating on how best to do the absurd.