Astronomy
1st Edition
ISBN: 9781938168284
Author: Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher: OpenStax
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Textbook Question
Chapter 15, Problem 23E
Show that the statement that 92% of the Sun’s atoms are hydrogen is consistent with the statement that 73% of the Sun’s mass is made up of hydrogen, as found in Table 15.2. (Hint: Make the simplifying assumption, which is nearly correct, that the Sun is made up entirely of hydrogen and helium.)
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Assuming that (1) the solar luminosity has been constant since the Sun formed, and (2) the Sun was initially of uniform composition throughout, as described by Table 9.2, estimate how long it would take the Sun to convert all of its original hydrogen into helium. [Hint: Calculate the mass of hydrogen in the sun and then divide it by the rate of hydrogen fusion (PPT slide 47.)]
Can you solve the problem, according to the information provided?
Using the results from above (1.29^29 kg), how much total energy is available to the Sun via nuclear fusion over its lifetime? (HINT: only 0.71% of the total mass of the available H in the core is converted into energy)
Chapter 15 Solutions
Astronomy
Ch. 15 - Describe the main differences between the...Ch. 15 - Describe how energy makes its way from the nuclear...Ch. 15 - Make a sketch of the Sun’s atmosphere showing the...Ch. 15 - Why do sunspots look dark?Ch. 15 - Which aspects of the Sun’s activity cycle have a...Ch. 15 - Summarize the evidence indicating that over...Ch. 15 - What it the Zeeman effect and what does it tell us...Ch. 15 - Explain how the theory of the Sun’s dynamo results...Ch. 15 - Compare and contrast the four different types of...Ch. 15 - What are the two sources of particles coming from...
Ch. 15 - How does activity on the Sun affect human...Ch. 15 - How does activity on the Sun affect natural...Ch. 15 - Table 15.1 indicates that the density of the Sun...Ch. 15 - Starting from the core of the Sun and going...Ch. 15 - Since the rotation period of the Sun can be...Ch. 15 - Suppose an (extremely hypothetical) elongated...Ch. 15 - The text explains that plages are found near...Ch. 15 - Why would a flare be observed in visible light,...Ch. 15 - How can the prominences, which are so big and...Ch. 15 - If you were concerned about space weather and...Ch. 15 - Suppose you live in northern Canada and an...Ch. 15 - The edge of the Sun doesn’t have to be absolutely...Ch. 15 - Show that the statement that 92% of the Sun’s...Ch. 15 - From Doppler shifts of the spectral lines in the...Ch. 15 - Assuming an average sunspot cycle of 11 years, how...Ch. 15 - This chapter gives the average sunspot cycle as 11...Ch. 15 - The escape velocity from any astronomical object...Ch. 15 - Suppose you observe a major solar flare while...Ch. 15 - Suppose an eruptive prominence rises at a speed of...Ch. 15 - From the information in Figure 15.21, estimate the...
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Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- The Sun’s luminosity (or power) is 4 x 1026 Watts (=J/s). How many kilograms of hydrogen must be fused every second to maintain this luminosity? (hint: work backwards from the energy per second to the mass released to the amount of hydrogen required, using the results from the previous question.) The Sun’s mass is ~2x1030 kg. If 10% of this is Hydrogen available in the core, how long will the Sun be able to continue fusing hydrogen at this rate? This is considered the Sun's "lifetime". If the Sun is 4.6 billion years old (and assuming it's power output is constant), how many years does it have left?arrow_forwardIn the model shown in the table below, what fraction of the Sun's mass is hotter than 5,000,000 K? R/R SunT (106 K) Density (g/cm³) 1.00 0.90 0.80 0.70 0.60 0.50 0.40 0.30 0.20 0.10 0.00 0.006 0.60 1.2 2.3 3.1 4.9 5.1 6.9 9.3 13.1 15.7 0.00 0.009 0.035 0.12 0.40 1.3 4.1 13 36 89 150 M/M Sun L/L Sun 1.00 0.999 0.996 0.990 0.97 0.92 0.82 0.63 0.34 0.073 0.000 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.99 0.91 0.40 0.00arrow_forwardWhy does nuclear fusion only take place in the Sun’s core?arrow_forward
- Let's examine how we know that the Sun cannot power itself by chemical reactions. Using the fact that an average chemical reaction between two atoms releases 1.6×10-19 J of energy, estimate how long the Sun could emit energy at its current luminosity. Compare that estimate to the known age of Earth.arrow_forwardIf a sunspot has a temperature of 4,270 K and the average solar photosphere has a temperature of 5,780 K, how many times more energy is emitted in 1 second from a square meter of the photosphere compared to a square meter of the sunspot? (Hint: Use the Stefan-Boltzmann law, E = σT4 (J/s/m2) where E is the energy, σ is a proportionality constant equal to 5.67 ✕ 10−8 J/s/m2/K4, and T is the temperature in kelvins.)arrow_forwardUse Wein's law to determine the wavelength corresponding to the peak of the black body curve (a) in the core of the Sun, where the temperature is 10^7, (b) in the solar convection zone (10^5), and (c) just below the solar photosphere (10^4K). What form (visible, infrared, X-ray, etc.) does radiation take in each case?arrow_forward
- Using the concept of hydrostatic equilibrium, explain why the Sun does not collapse under the weight of its own gravity.arrow_forwardIf the sun expanded to a radius 200 times it's present radius, what would the average density be (in g/cm^3?)arrow_forwardHow would the interior temperature of the Sun be different if the strong force that binds nuclei together were 10 times as strong?arrow_forward
- The Sun is currently about 4.4 billion years old. How much longer does it have before it runs out of Hydrogen? Answer in billions of years.arrow_forwardTable 15.1 indicates that the density of the Sun is 1.41 g/cm3. Since other materials, such as ice, have similar densities, how do you know that the Sun is not made of ice?arrow_forwardWhy do you suppose so great a fraction of the Sun’s energy comes from its central regions? Within what fraction of the Sun’s radius does practically all of the Sun’s luminosity originate (see Figure 16.16)? Within what radius of the Sun has its original hydrogen been partially used up? Discuss what relationship the answers to these questions bear to one another. Figure 16.16 shows how the temperature, density, rate of energy generation, and composition vary from the center of the Sun to its surface.arrow_forward
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