Module 07 Questions – Layers of the Sun
This discussion covers Question 19, “Which kind of star below does NOT have nuclear fusion processes occurring in it?” my choice was “pre-main sequence proto-star.” The most common reaction, which also occurs in the Sun, entails the fusion of hydrogen and helium nuclei. This fusion results in the release of energy due to the newly formed nuclei being more tightly bound than the initial ones.
Nuclear fusion is a reaction that joins the nuclei of an atom to form more massive nuclei. Stars generate energy through nuclear fusion reactions, where they merge lighter nuclei to create heavier ones. Most stars that make energy by nuclear fusion are the main sequence stars. When the core of a main sequence star collapses, unprocessed hydrogen ignites in a surrounding shell, causing the star to expand into a red giant (Seeds & Backman 2018). Proto stars are luminous red objects larger than main-sequence stars. They convert their gravitational energy to thermal energy during contraction. It radiates half the thermal temperature into space while the other half raises the internal temperature. When the center gets hot enough, nuclear reactions produce sufficient energy to counterbalance the radiation from the star’s surface. The proto-star then stops its contraction and evolves into a stable, main-sequence star. This means a pre-main sequence proto-star does not have nuclear fusion. When hydrogen is exhausted in the core, a star leaves the main sequence, burning hydrogen in its core, and becomes a red giant. A red giant, a massive main sequence, and a main sequence star possess nuclear fusion at some point, unlike a pre-main sequence proto-star.
The module incorporates the properties of stars, which demonstrates that learning about stars is not just about understanding the distant and mysterious; it’s about gaining a deeper appreciation of the interconnectedness of our universe.
References
Seeds, M. A. & Backman, D. (2018). ASTRO 3: Introductory astronomy. Cengage Learning.
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Question
Discuss one or more questions from Module 7 Questions and why you answered it the way you did.
Include other interesting remarks about the module.
The sun has a continuous visual spectrum with dark absorption lines. The continuous spectrum is produced by the inner ____________ layer while the dark absorption lines are produced by the thinner higher B
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- chromosphere, photosphere.
- Photosphere,
- chromosphere, corona.
- Corona, chromosphere.