(3 pts) In the Sun\'s core, thermonuclear reactions produce the energy which eve
ID: 3307929 • Letter: #
Question
(3 pts) In the Sun's core, thermonuclear reactions produce the energy which eventually produces the Sun's luminosity. The Sun's core has a temperature, Tore 1.6 × 107 K. The mass density of the core is approximately = 1.5 × 105 kg m 3, Assuming the core has the same miass fraction of hydrogen as the Sun's atmosphere (XH = 0.75), approximate the number of fusion reactions between two hydrogen nuclei (two free protons) per second. You may assume that the temperature and density are uniform throughout the core, which extends from the center of the sun out to about Ro/5, and that particles within the core act like a non-relativistic ideal gas. Also assume the cross-sectional area for a proton-proton reaction is = 2.75 × 10-48 m2Explanation / Answer
Regardless of the reaction used, the net result is the conversion of 4 hydrogen atoms into a helium atom.
Mass of 1 hydrogen atom =1.67×10^-27 kg
=4×1.67×10^-27 kg
Energy used = 6.7×10^11 kg
Approximate reaction is given by =
=total energy released/number of H atoms reacts
= 6.7×10^11/4×1.67×10^-27
= 1.0029×10^38 reactions per second.
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