If space is a vacuum, then how do stars burn without oxygen?

Answer 1

the stars themselves are made of hydrogen and the intense pressure of the gravities causes them to undergo nuclear fusion.
Its more of a continuous explosion than burning.

Answer 2

Okay, good question. First off, stars are not "on fire." They "burn" through the fusion of hydrogen into helium and heavier elements. It is more like a hydrogen bomb than a campfire.

In the vast reaches of interstellar space there are molecular clouds, termed "EGGS" (Expanding Gaseous Globules). These clouds are the product of first generation stars gone supernova and spreading their elements (mostly hydrogen) into space. Examples of these clouds would include most nebulae in the Milky Way Galaxy. These clouds contract in spots due to gravity. The Eagle Nebula is a prime example of a star forming region. There are amazing Hubble Space Telescope images of starbirth in progress. Simply put, when these molecular clouds condense, a core of molecular material develops, which gradually heats up due to the gravitational pressure of more and more matter accreting onto the core. A basic law of thermodynamics is that as pressure increases (more and more atoms being added to the accrection globe) the temperature rises. When the temperature in such a core reaches 10 million degrees Kelvin, hydrogen fusion becomes possible. The fusion of two hydrogen nuclei releases an immense amount of energy, which balances the weight of more and more hydrogen being gravitationally drawn to this core. Once nuclear fusion starts, a star is born, reaching an equilibrium with the infalling matter and the outward push of the energy released through nuclear fusion. Oxygen is synthesized later in the nuclear fusion process, if the star is big enough. But oxygen is not what makes a star "burn" in the first instance. That is the result of hydrogen fusion into helium.

Answer 3

Throw a log onto the fire and it begins to burn or undergo molecular changes because of oxidation or burning. Right now, the Sun is converting approx 600 million tons of hydrogen into helium every second through the process of nuclear fusion. It is not combining atoms of one element with another element to form new molecules, it is creating a atom of a new element from atoms of a different element. The interesting thing is that the total mass of the hydrogen atoms that go into the process is greater than the total mass of the resulting helium. Where'd all the missing mass go? It was converted into energy. How does one calculate the amount of energy [or E] yielded from the matter [or m] in the process? Simple, we all know the equation:
E = mc^2

Answer 4

You bring up a good point. When astronomers say that stars "burn", they do not mean it literally. Stars do not produce heat and light through combustion as fires on Earth do. A star's energy comes from the nuclear fusion of atoms into heavier atoms, mostly hydrogen into helium. This is a nuclear process and not a chemical reaction. No oxidizer is required, just immense temperature and pressure.

Answer 5

well for a start you can have burning without oxygen: chemically, 'oxidation' is a loss of electrons and has no necessary connection to the element oxygen.

all chemical reactions involve rearrangement of the electrons in molecules and either produce or consume energy. but stars 'burn' in a completely different way, they undergo nuclear reactions instead - rearrangement of the particles in the atomic nucleus, the neutrons and protons. the energies involved in these reactions are much higher than in chemcial reactions, which is why stars are so energetic. incidentally, some of the nuclear reactions occuring in stars do produce oxygen.

Answer 6

Stars do not "burn". They undergo an energy releasing process called nuclear fusion. Stars radiate energy up until a sufficient number of the atomic nuclei have fused to create heavier atoms. Eventually all stars run out of fuel.

Answer 7

http://helios.gsfc.nasa.gov/nucleo.html

A star's energy comes from the combining of light elements into heavier elements in a process known as fusion, or "nuclear burning". It is generally believed that most of the elements in the Universe heavier than helium are created, or synthesized, in stars when lighter nuclei fuse to make heavier nuclei. The process is called nucleosynthesis.

Answer 8

The 3 main forms of matter are solid, liquid, and gas. However, it is determinded that several stars are made of 4th form of matter called plasma. There is no plasma on earth but it keeps several stars burning in space.

Answer 9

Stars burn because the large amount of gas that is hydrogen and helium collides each other rapidly and causing it to burn up!

Answer 10

They dont BURN.

Thousands bombs like those dropped on Hiroshima / Nagasaki, explode each second.

As few of them already said, its done by FUSION.

If only part of that energy was transffered on to earth!!! to power the globe, there wouldnt b any underdeveloped nation.

Even the power in the LIGHTENINGS is enough to meet many countries power needs.