Question: [ 3 ] ( a ) If you burn a kilogram of gasoline, you get about Eg = 3 . 6 1 0 7 Joules

[3](a) If you burn a kilogram of gasoline, you get about Eg =3.6107 Joules of energy. The
mass of the Sun is about M=21030 kg. If you assume (incorrectly!) that the Sun is made
of gasoline, how long can it burn? This assumption is roughly equivalent to assuming that the
hydrogen in the Sun burns with the same energy per unit mass as listed above for gasoline,
i.e., that the Sun lives off of chemical energy. The power output of the Sun, also called its
luminosity, is L =41026 Watts =41026 Joule/sec. Express your answer for the Suns
lifetime in years. (b) Now assume that the Sun is powered by gravitational contraction. The
gravitational potential energy is given by the expression from problem [2]. Assume that the
solar radius R=7108 m, and that it can contract by a factor of 10. For the given solar
luminosity, what is the lifetime of the Sun (in years)?

Step by Step Solution

There are 3 Steps involved in it

1 Expert Approved Answer
Step: 1 Unlock blur-text-image
Question Has Been Solved by an Expert!

Get step-by-step solutions from verified subject matter experts

Step: 2 Unlock
Step: 3 Unlock

Students Have Also Explored These Related Physics Questions!