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GR0177 #19
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Problem
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This problem is still being typed. |
Advanced Topics }Astrophysics
It takes 4 H's to create a Helium nucleus in the sun's primary thermonuclear reactions. One either remembers this or can derive it from conservation of mass. The atomic mass of Hydrogen is 1 (since it has just 1 proton), while the atomic mass of Helium is 2 (2 protons, 2 neutrons).
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Alternate Solutions |
GREview
2009-05-19 15:28:49 | Fusion in the Sun is governed by  (with  and  ). Thus, the mass difference between the products and reactants is the difference between the He atom and the 4 H atoms. |  |
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Comments |
torturedbabycow
2010-04-01 17:04:16 | "The sun is a mass of incandescent gas, it's a giant nuclear furnace, where hydrogen is built into helium at a temperature of millions of degrees..."
Now all you have to remember is that the mass of one helium nucleus is about four times the mass of one hydrogen nucleus, and voila, (B). ^___^ |  | physicsman
2010-01-19 15:38:59 | Qualitatively: 1 proton + 1 electron is needed for every neutron
simply accounting for all the constituents of helium by pulling them from hydrogen will give you the proper number of hydrogen atoms to use. | | GREview
2009-05-19 15:28:49 | Fusion in the Sun is governed by (with and ). Thus, the mass difference between the products and reactants is the difference between the He atom and the 4 H atoms.
torturedbabycow
2010-04-01 17:05:53 |
I think you mean neutrino, not neutron!
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| | GREview
2009-05-19 15:28:13 | Fusion in the Sun is governed by (with and ). Thus, the mass difference between the products and reactants is the difference between the He atom and the 4 H atoms. | | bpat
2007-11-01 19:03:51 | I think it is a little more complicated than that, since 4*H does not equal 1*He. I think you just have to memorize the pp cycle for solar sized stars*.
*I guess they could have been really mean and said it was a very massive star. Then the answer would have been CNO cycle, not pp. | | T
2005-11-10 20:03:39 | small typo there, atomic mass of He is 4 |  | T
2005-11-10 20:03:02 | | |
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