Physics – 6.2.1 The Sun as a star | e-Consult
6.2.1 The Sun as a star (1 questions)
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Composition of the Sun: The Sun is primarily composed of hydrogen (approximately 71%) and helium (approximately 27%). A small percentage (around 2%) consists of heavier elements like oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and iron.
Electromagnetic Radiation Emitted: The Sun radiates energy across a broad spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. The main regions of emission are:
- Infrared (IR) Radiation: Longer wavelengths, associated with heat. Examples include infrared lamps and heat vision goggles.
- Visible Light: The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye can detect. This is what allows us to see. Different wavelengths within visible light correspond to different colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).
- Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation: Shorter wavelengths than visible light. UV radiation can cause sunburn and is associated with vitamin D production. UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C are different types with varying levels of energy.
The Sun emits all these types of radiation, but the relative intensity of each varies. The Sun's surface temperature determines the peak wavelength of the emitted radiation. The Sun's surface temperature is approximately 5800 Kelvin, which corresponds to a peak wavelength in the visible light spectrum (around 500nm, which is blue-green).