The Solar System

What is the sun?

our closest star

How did the sun form?

during the early stages of our solar system, when everything was just gas and dust, gravity pulled most of the particles toward the center

What were the vast majority of the particles that got pulled toward the center for the sun?

Hydrogen

What formed plasma for the sun?

the intense heat and pressure at the center stripped the hydrogen and other elements of electrons forming plasma

What happened to the heat and pressure as the sun grew?

it grew stronger

Where does nuclear fusion take place?

in the core during the beginning stage of the star (our sun)

Describe how nuclear fusion works?

hydrogen atoms fuse together to make helium, releasing energy in the process

What happens at the last step of the Sun forming?

the fusion and gravity of the Sun is in balance

How many layers does the sun have?

6

What is the core?

at the center of the Sun, where nuclear fusion takes place. This is the densest part of the Sun

What is the radiative zone?

where energy from fusion radiates outward from the core

What is the convective zone?

where heat is transported through convection