The sun is made mostly of hydrogen gas with some helium. The extreme gravity of the sun compresses and fuses hydrogen into helium. The helium in the sun comes from the multiple fusions of 4 hydrogen atoms into one helium atom with 2 protons and two neutrons. The combined weight of 4 hydrogen atoms is more than the weight of the one helium atom it makes; the missing weight is converted into energy which is what powers the sun. This is also the same process that takes place in a hydrogen bomb.
First, its hydrogen into helium- for our sun which is a main sequence star, this takes like 10 billion years. Then it goes from helium, to oxygen, etc until it gets to iron.
Iron is the biggie- once the star starts to try to burn iron you lose energy in the conversion, This can result in a super nova
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
hydrogen into helium, for now.
i might be wrong but i think in the future it will start fusing helium like nobody's business, once there is no hydrogen left.
A.
The sun is made mostly of hydrogen gas with some helium. The extreme gravity of the sun compresses and fuses hydrogen into helium. The helium in the sun comes from the multiple fusions of 4 hydrogen atoms into one helium atom with 2 protons and two neutrons. The combined weight of 4 hydrogen atoms is more than the weight of the one helium atom it makes; the missing weight is converted into energy which is what powers the sun. This is also the same process that takes place in a hydrogen bomb.
First, its hydrogen into helium- for our sun which is a main sequence star, this takes like 10 billion years. Then it goes from helium, to oxygen, etc until it gets to iron.
Iron is the biggie- once the star starts to try to burn iron you lose energy in the conversion, This can result in a super nova
A - Hydrogen into helium
The answer is A.
You would know if you read your text book. I'll give you a hint: it is not D.
b
I'm guessing A :)
A.