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The solar constant is defined as the rate at which solar radiant energy falls on

ID: 1524698 • Letter: T

Question

The solar constant is defined as the rate at which solar radiant energy falls on the earth’s atmosphere on a surface normal to the incident radiation. The mean value for the solar constant is 1353 W/m2, and the mean distance of the earth from the sun is 1.5 × 108 km.
(a) At what rate is energy being emitted from the sun?
(b) At what rate, in metric tons per second, is the sun’s mass being converted into energy?
Plz show steps
Final answers a. 3.83 × 1026 W b. 4.3 × 106 tonnes/s
The solar constant is defined as the rate at which solar radiant energy falls on the earth’s atmosphere on a surface normal to the incident radiation. The mean value for the solar constant is 1353 W/m2, and the mean distance of the earth from the sun is 1.5 × 108 km.
(a) At what rate is energy being emitted from the sun?
(b) At what rate, in metric tons per second, is the sun’s mass being converted into energy?
Plz show steps
Final answers a. 3.83 × 1026 W b. 4.3 × 106 tonnes/s
The solar constant is defined as the rate at which solar radiant energy falls on the earth’s atmosphere on a surface normal to the incident radiation. The mean value for the solar constant is 1353 W/m2, and the mean distance of the earth from the sun is 1.5 × 108 km.
(a) At what rate is energy being emitted from the sun?
(b) At what rate, in metric tons per second, is the sun’s mass being converted into energy?
Plz show steps
Final answers a. 3.83 × 1026 W b. 4.3 × 106 tonnes/s a. 3.83 × 1026 W b. 4.3 × 106 tonnes/s

Explanation / Answer

part a:

let power radiated from sun is P watts.

then P/surface area=solar constant

==>P=surface area*solar constant

=>P=1353*4*pi*distance ^2

=1353*4*pi*(1.5*10^11)^2

=3.8255*10^26 W

part b:

as per einstein's mass energy relatrionship,


energy=mass*speed of light^2

here power is energy/second.

so if in 1 seconds, m kg mass is being converted to energy

m*(3*10^8)^2=3.8255*10^26

==>m=4.250*10^9 kg

1 metric ton=1000 kg

so rate of mass being converted to energy=4.25*10^9 kg/sec

=4.25*10^6 tonnes/sec

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