The Sun and Nuclear Chemistry

Question 1

photosphere

Answer 1

the surface of the sun/ what we see

Question 2

chromosphere

Answer 2

is the lower atmosphere of the sun

Question 3

corona

Answer 3

the upper atmosphere of the sun

Question 4

what is the average temp of the photosphere

Answer 4

• 5800 kelvin

- we know this because of weins law

Question 5

what is luminosity

Answer 5

-total energy given off by an object each second

Question 6

solar constant

Answer 6

• we measure this to get luminosity

- and is the solar energy reaching earth per square meter

Question 7

what us the sun made of

Answer 7

hydrogen and helium

Question 8

what is the radiave zone

Answer 8

the interior of the sun

Question 9

what is the temp of the core of the sun

Answer 9

15 million kelvin

Question 10

what causes the gas bubbles of the sun

Answer 10

the convection of the ionized atoms

Question 11

what do we see and what is covered up when a solar eclipse happens

Answer 11

the bright photospheres blocked and the faint chromosphere and corona is visible

Question 12

what are the atoms of the corona like?

Answer 12

highly ionized

Question 13

what is solar wind

Answer 13

• the heat of the suns gas is being escaping

- mostly protons and electrons moving very fast

Question 14

if corona is very hot, what is a good wavelength to look t

Answer 14

• x rays

- we see hot white spots and dark cool spots when we did this

Question 15

sunspots

Answer 15

• each is about the size of earth
• they have a black color but that is deceiving because they are still very hot
• they only last a few days
• usually in pairs
• have large magnetic feilds

Question 16

magnetic field of the sun

Answer 16

magnetism gets twisted by differential rotation because. the equator rotates father than the rest of the star

Question 17

Polarity of the sunspots

Answer 17

• every other sunspot has the reverse polarity
• north becomes south
• thus a true sun cycle is 22 years

Question 18

solar maximum

Answer 18

• when the max number of sunspot occur

- and the sun get every active around this time

Question 19

prominences

Answer 19

giant loops of hot gas that follow field lines

Question 20

solar flares

Answer 20

more violent bursts of hot gas

Question 21

Nuclear Fusion

Answer 21

• the sun combines light nuclei into heavier ones

- when mass is lost and energy is gained

Question 22

nuclear force

Answer 22

at high temps in the center of the sun, velocity of atoms is very high and atoms can collide after going through electrical repulsion to fuse together

Question 23

Positron

Answer 23

• a positively charged electron

- when it collides with an electron it creates energy

Question 24

Neutrino

Answer 24

• have no charge and have no mass so they rarely interact with each other
• and easily escape the sun
• can go through anything

Question 25

Deuteron

Answer 25

- aka the nucleus of a heavy hydrogen - has an extra neutron - also called an isotope

Question 26

isotope

Answer 26

when you have more or less neutrons that normal

Question 27

what happens when 2 protons collide

Answer 27

after collision, it pops out a deuteron (which is a proton +neutron) and slo a positron

Question 28

how does sun create energy

Answer 28

through a string of reactions called the proton-proton chain

Question 29

proton-proton chain

Answer 29

creates a net result of 4H ----> 1He + energy

Question 30

what is the sun always gradually doing

Answer 30

turning H in its core to He

Question 31

what evidence do we have that the sun is turning H into He

Answer 31

we see evidence by the neutrino detectors

Question 32

where do we test these neutrinos

Answer 32

- giant underground tanks of chlorine-rich chemicals which neutrinos interact more strongly with - abut 2 or 3 neutrinos are detected every week here