1.The amount of sunlight falling on Earth is approximately 1350 W/m2 (watts per

Question

1.The amount of sunlight falling on Earth is approximately 1350 W/m2 (watts per square meter). Estimate the energy produced by the Sun each hour. Compare it to something we can get a handle on (light bulbs, horse power etc.). How does the Sun produce such copious energy?

2. Describe basic details of the fusion reactions that occur in the Sun. What makes controlled fusion possible in the Sun’s center when it has been so daunting for us to produce on Earth with all our knowledge and technology?

3. Describe the processes through which the energy produced in the central core of the sun reaches its surface and on to Earth. Why is it that the sunlight that just reached us today was produced as energy hundred of thousands of years ago?

4. Describe what will happen once all the hydrogen in the Sun’s center has been used up. What do the future 10 billion years look like for our Sun? What is its ultimate fate?

Explanation / Answer

1.

distance of sun from earth=149.6*10^9 m

power of sunlight generated=intensity*4*pi*distance^2

=1350*4*pi*(149.6*10^6)^2=3.796*10^20 W

so energy produced in each hour=power*time

=3.796*10^20*3600 J

=1.36656*10^24 J

question 2:

on earth's surface, due to very high temperature fusion process takes place .
temperature on sun core is 14 million kelvin.
on earth , it is not possible to generate that type of temperature.

question 3:

sun acts as a very hot body and it radiates energy in every direction.

that energy is consumed by earth and all other planets.

the sun light is born as gamma rays in nuclear reaction in the core of the sun and after going through very high number of collisions with matter , this radiation reaches the surface of the sun and escapes into space.

so the sun light that we receive has been generated thousands year ago.

Question 4:

once the sun has used up all its hydrogen to convert to helium, it will become a red giant star consuming mercury and venus.

and then slowly it will start the juorney towards supernova and dwarf star.

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