When small stars die light elements are released why?

When small stars, like red dwarfs, exhaust their nuclear fuel, they undergo a process called stellar death. During this phase, the star expels its outer layers, releasing lighter elements such as helium, carbon, and nitrogen into space. This occurs because the star's core collapses and heats up, allowing for nuclear fusion processes that create these elements, which are then ejected during the star's final stages, enriching the surrounding interstellar medium. This recycling of materials contributes to the formation of new stars and planets.