An Interview with Mr. Sol
Questions you answer on your whiteboard
Notes you write in your notebook Title for today’s notes: Our Sun
An Interview with Mr. Sol
How does the sun fit into the galaxy?
Draw your explanation on your whiteboard
An Interview with Mr. SolThe sun describe its job as just sitting around making hydrogen into helium.
Whiteboard Question: What is this process called?
Fusion:Lighter nuclei (like Hydrogen) are fused together
to form heavier nuclei (like Helium and other elements) and release energy
An Interview with Mr. SolThe sun mentions the tragic death of a star right in our neighborhood. Can stars die?
An Interview with Mr. Sol
The sun says he's made up of the right stuff. What is that?
Hydrogen, Helium and other elements in plasma state of matter
plasma: very hot gasses made of positive ions and negative electrons
The Sun’s Interior
• Central Core: hottest, densest part (15 million degrees, 12 times more dense than Lead) –where energy is produced by fusion
• Radiation Zone: particles here re-radiate energy made in the core– Radiate: to emit energy in the form or rays or waves
• Convection Zone: turbulent layer of gasses that is stirred by convection.– Convection: transfer of heat in a liquid or gas in a
circular motion–Gasses emit energy as they reach the
surface
Use information from the interview to locate the sunSketch the diagram and add the sun’s location on your
whiteboard
The Sun’s Surface & Atmosphere• Photosphere: (sphere of light)– Glowing plasma– Emits energy– Sun Spots – cooler regions– Solar Flares
Sun spots• Appear dark due to
difference in temperature– Umbra – darker area– Penumbra – lighter
region around the umbra.
• Average size is about the same size as the Earth
Solar Flares• Very large explosions; plasma interacts with magnetic field• Heat to several million degrees F• Release as much energy as a billion megatons of TNT• Occur near sunspots
• Chromosphere: (sphere of color)– Above Photosphere– Reddish glow– Only seen during solar eclipse
• Corona: (crown)– Streams of high temp plasma– Only seen during eclipse
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLkGSV9WDMA
• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHSoxioQtwZcJj_9clLz7Bggso7qg2PDj
Relative Size of Sun & Planets• If the Sun were the size of a basketball:– Earth would be the size of a pea 107 feet away–Mars would be the size of a bb 164 feet away– Jupiter would be the size of a ping pong ball 550
feet away– Saturn: 1020 feet away– Uranus: 2050 feet away– Neptune: 3100 feet away– Pluto: grain of salt 3300 feet awayA mile is 5280 feet