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Article Questions – The Sun: Fusion at Work. Part I.
Directions. Answer the following questions from the included article in complete sentences
(RAP – Restate, Answer, & Prove).
(33 points total)
Early Theories of the Sun.
1. How did the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras describe the Sun and what made him believe
this? (3 pts.)
2. Describe the new theory applied to the Sun, after the discovery of chemical combustion
in the 18th century, of how the Sun creates energy. Why was it quickly seen as
unworkable? (3 pts.)
3. Describe the contraction theory, proposed in 1864, about how the Sun creates its
energy. (3 pts.)
4. Describe the 2 major flaws of the contraction theory. (4 pts.)
1)
2)
Sun’s Nuclear Furnace.
5. Explain how young stars achieve “nuclear ignition”. (3 pts.)
6. What is “hydrostatic equilibrium” for a star? (3 pts.)
7. Provide the following facts about the Sun: (3 pts.)
The major element produced _______________
Radius (compared to the Earth) _______________
Mass (compared to the Earth) _______________
Volume (compared to the Earth) _______________
Mass (% of solar system) _______________
Core Temperature _______________
Core pressure (compared to the Earth)
_______________
8. Describe each of the 3 steps in the “proton-proton” fusion cycle in the core of the Sun.
(6 pts.)
Step 1.
Step 2.
Step 3.
9. Explain why a high energy gamma ray produced in the core becomes lower energy heat &
light by the time it reaches the Sun’s surface. (3 pts.)
10. What elements is the Sun made of as revealed by spectroscopy. (3 pts.)
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Article Questions – The Sun: Fusion at Work. Part II.
Directions. Answer the following questions from the included article in complete sentences
(RAP – Restate, Answer, & Prove).
(27 points total)
Tiny Mass Loss, Huge Energy Gain.
1. How does Einstein’s equation explain why the Sun can produce so much energy from its
mass. (3 pts.)
2. Explain what will physically happen to the Sun upon entering its “death throes”. (3 pts.)
Sun’s Structure.
3. Describe the core of the Sun. (3 pts.)
4. Explain the “random walk process” of a photon in the radiative zone of the Sun. (3 pts.)
5. Explain how energy is transported in the convective zone of the Sun. (3 pts.)
6. Explain the granulated appearance of the surface of the Sun. (3 pts.)
7. Define prominences and spicules on the chromosphere of the Sun. (3 pts.)
8. Describe how plasma is created in the corona of the Sun. (3 pts.)
9. What is the cause of the extremely high temperatures on the Sun’s corona. (3 pts.)
Article Questions – The Sun: Fusion at Work. Part III.
Directions. Answer the following questions from the included article in complete sentences
(RAP – Restate, Answer, & Prove).
(33 points total)
Sun-Earth Interactions.
1. What is the solar wind? (3 pts.)
2. What are solar flares? (3 pts.)
3. What are Coronal Mass Ejections (CME’s)? (3 pts.)
4. In what ways do CME’s affect the Earth? (3 pts.)
5. What are sunspots? (3 pts.)
6. What was the “Maunder Minimum” and how was it related to sunspot activity? (3 pts.)
7. What are the expected effects of solar storm activity between the years of 2007 to
2012. (3 pts.)
8. List and describe the 5 ways in which the Sun’s solar influx is distributed once it
reaches the Earth. (10 pts.)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
9. Describe the solar energy generating system (SEGS) and how it creates energy. (3 pts.)
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