Topic – The Sun (from “The Sun’s Anatomy and Energy” powerpoint)
Essential Question: How does energy travel from the Sun to the Earth?
The Sun
• Inside of the Sun
• Atmosphere of the Sun
Photosphere
– Lowest layer
– This is the layer we see
– Temperature ______°C
Chromosphere
– Appears red
– Temperature ranges from 6000°C (____ altitude)- 15000°C (high
altitude)
Corona
– _________ layer
– Extends for millions of miles
– Temperatures reaching 1 million °C
– Core
– High temperature and pressure ( roughly ____________ °C)
– gaseous throughout
– H- 70 % and He-28%
– Nuclear fusion occurs
Radiation Zone
– Emits ___________
– Temperature ranges from 15-1 million °C
Convection Zone
– Photons continue to move towards the sun’s surface.
– Temperature ranges from 1 million -6000 °C
– The corona of the sun doesn’t end abruptly.
• Gas flows outward from the corona at high speed, forming the
_____________.
– As the particles continue to flow outward through the solar system,
they bathe each planet in a flood of particles.
Earth’s ______________________ – Deflects and traps Sun particles in 2 rings in Earth’s magnetic field
called the _________________
– The particles in these belts collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere
and cause the gases to give off light that we see as the ___________
(aka: aurora ____________ in northern hemisphere or aurora
australis in the South)
• Earth’s magnetic field protects earth and its life from the Sun’s radiation and
particles
– These stellar particles and dangerous forms of the Sun’s energy (ex.
UV rays) are deflected away from Earth’s atmosphere/surface and
pushed away toward the poles
– Solar Activity
• Solar ______________________ and layers of the solar atmosphere are
permanent features.
Solar Activity – process where features on the Sun change over time
– The Sun’s magnetic field disturbs the solar atmosphere periodically
causing new features to appear.
Sunspots- dark spots on surface of photosphere
– They are very bright but appear darker than surrounding area b/c
they are cooler
– Typically last 2 months and occur in pairs with opposite magnetic
______________
– The number of sunspots varies according to an average ___________
cycle
Solar Flares
• Violent ______________ of particles and radiation from the surface of the
Sun
• Associated with sunspots
• May _______________ with phone and radio signal
Prominence
• Arc of gas that is ejected from the chromosphere and rains back to surface of
Sun
• Sometimes associated with solar flares and sun spots
• The Sun’s Energy
• The Sun’s energy comes from within the core where the pressure and
temperature are extremely high.
Fusion- _______________ of lightweight nuclei, such as hydrogen, into heavier
nuclei produces radiant energy
– Ex. In the core of the Sun, helium is a product of the process in which
____________ nuclei fuse
Fission- splitting of heavy nuclei into smaller, lighter atomic nuclei
• The mass lost in the fusion of hydrogen into helium is converted into energy,
which powers the Sun
– At the Sun’s rate of hydrogen fusing, it is about _______________
through its lifetime, with another 5 billion years left
Energy from the Sun
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
– The ______________ of electromagnetic radiation according to
wavelengths
• The light we see coming from the sun is the visible light.
• What happens to the energy from the Sun?
• Impact of Solar Energy on Earth
• Impact of Solar Energy on Earth’s Life
• Earth’s distance from the Sun and its circular orbit allow water to exist on its
surface.
• The Sun’s energy and heat makes it possible for life on earth
– Ex. Photosynthesis- a process that _______________ solar energy
into chemical energy.
Summary:
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