CURRICULUM | SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | ENGINEERING | MATH
“Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of, who do the things no one can imagine.” - Alan Turing
THE SUN
LESSON 2: ENERGY PRODUCTION | ACTIVITY | FUTURE
THE SUN HAS A CYCLE?
HOW DOES THE SUN PRODUCE ENERGY? FUSION AND FISSION.
HOW WE INTEND TO HARNESS FUSION AND FISSION!
FOR YOUR NOTEBOOK:
Lesson 2: Production
Fusion: the combination of lightweight, atomic nuclei into heavier nuclei (Hydrogen fusing into Helium)
Fission: the splitting of heavy atomic nuclei into smaller, lighter nuclei (Uranium splitting into Lead)
Energy Production and Future of the Sun
Mass lost in the fusion of hydrogen to helium is converted to ENERGY, which powers the Sun
The Sun has only used about 3% of its hydrogen supply
The Sun has approximately 5 billion years left, which is roughly half of its lifetime
Once the Sun has used up its supply of hydrogen, it will transform into a red giant, then become a planetary nebula, and finally a white dwarf
Energy Transport
Energy in the inner portion of the Sun is transferred by radiation (Temp: 1x107 K)
In the convection zone, energy is transferred by convection currents
As energy leaves the outermost layer, energy moves in different directions as wavelengths, of which Earth receives a small amount
Some of the energy that arrives on Earth every day is absorbed and scattered by the atmosphere
