Why does the sun burn?

Answer 1

It does. Or rather, it will. It just hasn't yet, and is not expected to burn out until

a few more billion years from now, because it has that much fuel remaining.

Our sun is estimated to be about halfway through it's normal lifespan now.

Answer 2

The sun "burns" or emits heat and light due to nuclear fusion reactions that occur in its core. These reactions involve the conversion of hydrogen into helium, releasing vast amounts of energy in the form of heat and light.

Answer 3

The sun derives its energy from nuclear fusion reactions that transform, in its nucleus, hydrogen into helium. The photons are released from the sun's core because of these reactions. It takes from 10 000 to 170 000 years for the photons to reach the sun's surface. Some of these photons are in form of light. Some photons releases thermal radiation. It takes eight minutes to light to travel from the sun to the Earth.

Answer 4

In the center of the sun, hydrogen nuclei (protons) are at extreme density and temperature. When the atoms combine, they create helium, a fusion reaction that converts some of the mass to energy. The energy created by the various self-sustaining processes (called stellar nucleogenesis) slowly makes its way to the surface of the Sun where it is continually released as light and heat.

Answer 5

Gravity compresses the Sun, and other stars, to a high density, and at a high temperature. This causes hydrogen-1 to convert (via a process called nuclear fusion) to helium-4; this process releases a lot of energy.

Answer 6

It does NOT burn. The Sun is so hot, about 5500 Celsius at the surface and 16 million at the core that only gas and hotter states of matter can exist there.

There is no flammable material there and if you know, 98% of gas there are hydrogen and helium, so there isn't enough oxygen there for things to burn.

So how does it shine?

Deuterium and Tritium Hydrogen Atoms, those found in hydrogen bombs, merge to form helium, an energetic neutron and energy in the source of light and heat.

So many reactions take place that the sun is converting 4 billion tonnes of hydrogen into helium and vast amounts of energy every second, sending vast amounts of light, heat over the 15 billion kilometer journey from the sun right to earth.

Hope I helped.

Answer 7

Gravity compresses the Sun, and other stars, to a high density, and at a high temperature. This causes hydrogen-1 to convert (via a process called nuclear fusion) to helium-4; this process releases a lot of energy.

Gravity compresses the Sun, and other stars, to a high density, and at a high temperature. This causes hydrogen-1 to convert (via a process called nuclear fusion) to helium-4; this process releases a lot of energy.

Gravity compresses the Sun, and other stars, to a high density, and at a high temperature. This causes hydrogen-1 to convert (via a process called nuclear fusion) to helium-4; this process releases a lot of energy.

Gravity compresses the Sun, and other stars, to a high density, and at a high temperature. This causes hydrogen-1 to convert (via a process called nuclear fusion) to helium-4; this process releases a lot of energy.

Answer 8

The sun shines via nuclear fusion. Hydrogen combines with itself to form deuterium--the helium nucleus. This nucleus has a smaller mass than its individual components, and this mass difference or "defect" is liberated as energy. It takes tremendous heat and pressure to sustain this nuclear reaction, which occurs deep within the core of our sun--and any other star.

Answer 9

"Never" is a big word... The Sun has shone for a long time, and it will continue shining for a long time, but it will eventually run out of fuel.

"Never" is a big word... The Sun has shone for a long time, and it will continue shining for a long time, but it will eventually run out of fuel.

"Never" is a big word... The Sun has shone for a long time, and it will continue shining for a long time, but it will eventually run out of fuel.

"Never" is a big word... The Sun has shone for a long time, and it will continue shining for a long time, but it will eventually run out of fuel.

Answer 10

At present it is the thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen atoms into those of helium.