Chapter 11 part 1

Question 1

What is the source of the sun’s power?

Answer 1

Fusion of hydrogen into helium

Nuclear Fusion

Question 2

Formula for converting mass into energy

Answer 2

E = mc^2

Question 3

What creates a Helium nucleus?

Answer 3

4 Hydrogen Nuclei

Question 4

Why does nuclear fusion create energy?

Answer 4

Because the 4 Hydrogen Nuclei have a slightly higher mass than a Helium nucleus , the difference in mass is turned into energy

Question 5

What would happen to the Sun if fusion produced more energythan the Sun was able to radiate from its surface?

Answer 5

The amount of energy inside the Sun would increase

Question 6

Sun’s structure

Answer 6

Solar Wind > Corona > Chromosome > Photosphere (sunspots) > Convection Zone > Radiation Zone > Core

Question 7

What proof is there for the Sun

Answer 7

Mathematical Models ,
Solar Vibrations ,
Neutrino Observations

Question 8

What is the source of solar activity?

Answer 8

Magnetic Fields

Question 9

What keeps the Sun hot?

Answer 9

Nuclear Fusion in the Sun’s core

Question 10

What is the Sun made up of?

Answer 10

Hydrogen and Helium

Question 11

What does the Sun’s Photosphere do?

Answer 11

Radiate energy into space

Question 12

What does the Sun’s Radiation and Convective zones do?

Answer 12

Transport energy to the Photosphere by slow diffusion of photons. Since the photons are interacting with gas, their energy (and frequency) is proportional to that of the gas.

Question 13

How does thermal energy flow?

Answer 13

From hotter regions to cooler regions

Question 14

What is the rough temp of the Sun’s center?

Answer 14

15 Million Kelvin

Question 15

Nuclear Fusion of Hydrogen doesn’t happen at temperatures lower than what?

Answer 15

About 10 Million Kelvin

Question 16

What happens to the energy of the photons as it goes away from the core and to the photosphere?

Answer 16

The gas gets cooler, so the energy gets lower.

Question 17

What is the main difference between stars and planets?

Answer 17

Nuclear Fusion occurs in stars .

Question 18

What is Nuclear Fusion?

Answer 18

Two or more nuclei stick together or fuse, forming a larger nucleus.

Question 19

The Sun will exhaust its nuclear fuel in about ______.

Answer 19

5 billion years

Question 20

What type of radiation is most prevalent in the radiation zone

Answer 20

X Rays

Question 21

How do we estimate the life span of the sun?

Answer 21

By determining how long it will take for all the hydrogen initially in the core to be fused into helium. The core began with roughly the same composition as the universe as a whole: about 75% hydrogen and 25% helium.
(10^10 Years)

Question 22

If the sun had the same mass but a lower luminosity, its lifespan would be

Answer 22

Longer than 10 billion years

Question 23

How does the force depend on distance?

Answer 23

It increases as the distance decreases

Question 24

Radar Method

Answer 24

Send radio waves and measure how long it takes the waves to hit a planet and come back