From what source does the sun derive its power?

Answer 1

The sun began basically as a ball of hydrogen. When gravity caused it to collapse, it ignited the fusion reaction by which hydrogen fuses in to helium.

When two hydrogen atoms fuse into one helium atom, one of the by-products is energy in the form of heat. When millions of tons of hydrogen atoms fuse into helium atoms every second...

Answer 2

Every second the Sun is turning approximately 600 million tons of hydrogen into helium through the process of nuclear fusion. The total matter of the resulting helium atom is less than the total matter of the initial hydrogen atoms. Where did the missing matter go? It was converted into energy. How does one calculate how much matter , or "m", was converted into how much energy, or "E", and what is the conversion factor, or "c"? This can be done by using the most famous equation: E=mc^2.
Modern nuclear reactors use the process of nuclear fission to generate their energy. Fission is the splitting of an atomic nucleus. The "atomic" bombs dropped in WWII also used this process to create their energy. Modern "nuclear" bombs utilize the fusion process yielding exponentially larger amounts of energy.
Edit after reading other answers: The sun does NOT burn. Burning, or oxidation, is a chemical process dealing with molecular bonds. It has nothing to do with the forces inside the nucleus of an atom. Chemically burning something does not transmute an atom of one element into another [much to the disappointment of alchemists in history; one of the most famous being Sir Isaac Newton].

Answer 3

2H + 2n => He
He + 1n => 2H + 3n

During the fusion-fission-fusion reaction that takes place in the core of the sun, hydrogen is fused into helium, which breaks down back into hydrogen. Each of these reactions releases a little energy as a byproduct.

Not all of the helium gets hut by a neutron, however, and it accumulates.

When most of the hydrogen has been converted into helium, the helium-carbon-helium cycle begins, and the core cools, releasing more energy. The star swells into a red giant.

Eventually the star goes out as the helium-carbon-helium cycle gives way to the creation of iron. When all of the fuel for this reaction has been consumed, the star turns into a brown dwarf, radiating the last of it's heat away into space.

Stars off of the main sequence, however, usually nova when their hydrogen is exausted - you need more than 1.4 solar masses for this to take place - aren't we lucky?

In 5 Billion years to 10 Billion years the Sun will turn into a red giant. Nothing for you to worry about.

Answer 4

The Sun is a huge ball of Hydrogen Gas.

The weight of all that gas pressing down on the center of the ball creates immense pressure and heat in the core. Some particular number is the trigger point for the startup of a nuclear reaction in which hydrogen gas is converted to helium.

That nuclear fusion reaction is what makes (releases) all forms of radiation and heat. X Rays, Gamma Rays, and heat from Ultraviolet and Infrared energy are released in massive quantities by the fusion reaction. This fusion will continue until all of the Hydrogen is consumed...about 5 Billion more years.

Answer 5

The Sun derives its power from its original source; the immense ball of hydrogen that formed it in the first place.
The Sun converts its energy by nuclear reaction at its core. The Sun fuses 4 atoms of hydrogen into 1 atom of helium (at the most basic level).
The subsequent release of energy from that reaction is the light you see today, and the heat you feel on your skin when you stand in the sunlight.

Answer 6

Nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium. Another 4-5 billion years from now, when the hydrogen at the core is exhausted it will switch to fusing hydroben in the outer shell. This will cause the core of helium to heat up and compress, generating additional heat that will cause the sun to expand into a red giant.

Answer 7

Easy answer. The sun is huge. Because it is huge, it has a huge gravitational effect. The gravity of the sun, which causes great pressure at it's center, makes one of the most basic forces of nature to take place at the core. This force is called nuclear fusion. This is the process of one type of atom being converted to another type of atom (hydrogen into helium). During this process, a great amount of energy is released.

Answer 8

The fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. During the process a small portion of the hydrogen atoms is converted into pure energy. E=MC2.

Answer 9

Fusion of the Hydrogen atom releases much energy of the electromagnetic spectrum. Just as the thermonuclear bomb does. This is hardly the whole story.

Answer 10

Conversion of mass into energy, you know E=mc^2
Every second, 600 million tonnes of hydrogen nucleus are fused to create helium nucleus, with a net loss of mass of 4 million tonnes, which is converted in energy.