What does the Sun use for fuel, and how does it consume that fuel differently, for example, than a car engine?
4. Will the Sun ever run out of fuel? Introduction Sunlight shines at a rate of 3.9 ´ 1026 W (“W” stands for “Watts”). For comparison, a typical light bulb is around 100 W. Because the Sun’s power output is so enormous, the Sun must possess an equally enormous power source. That source is nuclear fusion. The word “nuclear” refers to the energy stored in the nucleus at the center of an atom. In non-nuclear processes – like electricity or fire – the nuclei (plural of nucleus) of atoms never change. This is true element by element. For example, consider burning a fuel, like gasoline. Most fuels are made from “hydrocarbons” which contain atoms of hydrogen and carbon. After the fuel is burned, there is no more fuel. But there are by-products, like ash, smoke, and/or water vapor, and and these by-products still contain just as many hydrogen atoms and carbon atoms as the fuel initially contained. But that’s for a non-nuclear process. In a nuclear process, it is possible to create and/or destr
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