I always thought you could not have fire without oxygen. If this is so what is keeping the sun alight?

Answer 1

The sun is powered by nuclear fussion.

"Its spectrum contains lines of ionized and neutral metals as well as very weak hydrogen lines. The V (Roman five) suffix indicates that the Sun, like most stars, is a main sequence star. This means that it generates its energy by nuclear fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium and is in a state of hydrostatic balance, neither contracting nor expanding over time. "

"The Sun is about halfway through its main-sequence evolution, during which nuclear fusion reactions in its core fuse hydrogen into helium. Each second, more than 4 million tonnes of matter are converted into energy within the Sun's core, producing neutrinos and solar radiation; at this rate, the Sun will have so far converted around 100 Earth-masses of matter into energy. The Sun will spend a total of approximately 10 billion years as a main sequence star."

Answer 2

Normal fire is caused by hydrogen and carbon being oxidized in a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions involve exchanging electrons, but each carbon atom remains carbon, each oxygen atom remains oxygen, etc.

In nuclear fire, the nuclei of the atoms are reformed, creating new atoms. No oxygen is needed, only hydrogen, and lots of heat and pressure. Hydrogen smashes together forming helium and releasing energy. The forces holding the nucleus together are much stronger than those holding electrons in orbit, so nuclear reactions release much more energy than chemical reactions.

This is why nuclear weapons are more powerful than chemical weapons, pound for pound.

Answer 3

The sun's energy comes from nuclear fusion; oxygen is only required for chemical combustion--- and not even then. An oxidizer is needed for combustion, but it need not be oxygen.

You cannot see the nuclear reactions in the sun. The part of the sun that you see is merely glowing because it is hot.

Answer 4

You cannot not have combustion without oxygen. Combustion is a chemical reaction. The sun is fusing Hydrogen into Helium ( a nuclear reaction)

Answer 5

The sun is "burning" hydrogen by combining the atoms to form helium. The same reaction makes a hydrogen bomb on earth.

Answer 6

If the sun was burning in the sense of carbon combustion, it would have burned out billions of years ago.

I am surprised so many people think it is burning. Most people are 400 years behind in matters of space.

Answer 7

Not to be a jerk...but...

How can one get to a place in life where they can operate a computer and formulate such sentences...and not know that the sun maintains its brilliance through nuclear fusion?

How is this possible?

Answer 8

The sun is not fire as we know it. It is composed of hydrogen and helium. It is not burning like fire but rather is a complex system of atomic fusion and radiation.

Answer 9

The sun is not on fire, it is a sustained nuclear reaction.

Answer 10

Hydrogen.