How the Sun Produces Light and Heat

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When we look up into the sky, what do we see? During the day, we often will find the sun. The sun is much more than a ball of fire that we see in our daily lives. The sun gives earth life, from the condition of the season of the life that is produced. Overall, when we think of the sun we think of heat and light, but one might question; how does the sun produce the heat and light that is necessary for the earth to sustain life? The sun is also known as a star, just like the stars we see at night that illuminate the night sky. Stars are categorized by the Stellar Classification system, which accounts for spectra appearances from the light of a star. According to the chart, the sun is considered a G2 V, the G class of stars have a temperature between “5200 to 6000 K and have a weaker hydrogen line and neutral metals,” (“Stellar Classification,” 2014). A common name for the sun is the dwarf star, and “the V classification indicates that the sun is a main-line sequence star and generates energy by nuclear fusion,” (“Sun,” 2014). Similar to the Earth’s structure, the sun is made up of an inner core and atmosphere, having an understanding of the structure of the sun will help in understanding how heat and light are produced.
The innermost lay of the sun is known as “the core.” The core of the sun helps to begin the generation of heat and light, which feeds the Earth’s life. The inner most portion of the sun has the highest temperature and the most pressure. Based upon the category of the sun in the stellar classification, it is made up of hydrogen and generates energy from nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion reaction is “when two or smaller light nuclei combine to form a larger nucleus,” (Young, 2012). The hydrogen atoms perform nuclear fusio...

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...11 May 2014, from http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/interior.shtml
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