How are heat and light produced by the sun?
1 Answer
Feb 28, 2016
The sun is essentially a nuclear reaction. Hydrogen nuclei are combined through nuclear fusion which releases a large amount of energy.
Explanation:
The binding energy of the resultant nucleus (Helium nuclei) is greater than the initial binding energy of the combining nuclei (Hydrogen nuclei). As a result, energy is released in the form of heat and light. Fusion requires very high kinetic energies to overcome the electrostatic repulsion of the nuclei. This is possible due to the very high temperature of the sun.
