Question

The energy (such as light and heat) released by the Sun is produced by nuclear reactions in the core of the Sun, which convert hydrogen into helium. According to Einstein's equation E = mc2, the mass of one helium nucleus should be ___________.

Answer 1

Answer:

the mass of one helium nucleus should be less than the mass of four hydrogen nuclei.

Explanation:

Deep inside the core of the Sun, enough protons can collide into each other with enough speed that they stick together to form a helium nucleus and generate a tremendous amount of energy at the same time. This process is called nuclear fusion.

The mass-to-energy conversion is described by Einstein's famous equation:

E = mc2, or, in words, energy equals mass times the square of the velocity of light. Because the velocity of light is a very large number, this equation says that lots of energy can be gained from using up a modest amount of mass.

Photons In the proton-proton chain reaction, hydrogen nuclei are converted to helium nuclei through a number of intermediates. The reactions produce high-energy photons (gamma rays) that move through the "radiative layer" surrounding the core. This layer takes up 60 percent of the radius of the Sun. It takes a million years for energy to get through this layer into the "convective layer", because the photons are constantly intercepted, absorbed and re-emitted. In the core, the helium nuclei make up 62% of the mass (the rest is still hydrogen). The radiative and convective layers have about 72% hydrogen, 26% helium, and 2% heavier elements (by mass). The energy produced by fusion is then transported to the solar surface and emitted as light or ejected as high-energy particles.