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30 votes
30 votes
Hydrogen + hydrogen

helium + energy
1. What do you predict will happen to the amount of hydrogen over time? Use evidence from the equation
above to justify your claim.
2. What do you predict will happen to the amount of helium over time? Use evidence from the equation
above to justify your claim.
3. Based on your answers to #1 and #2, do you predict our Sun will provide Earth with the right amount of
energy forever?

User Grimsteel
by
2.3k points

1 Answer

12 votes
12 votes

Final answer:

The amount of hydrogen will decrease over time as it gets converted into helium, and the amount of helium and energy will increase. The Sun will not provide Earth with the right amount of energy forever, as the Sun will eventually run out of hydrogen fuel.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the given equation, hydrogen combines to form helium and energy. So, over time, the amount of hydrogen will decrease as it gets converted into helium. The equation shows that 600 million tons of hydrogen are converted into helium and energy every second in the Sun. This suggests that the amount of hydrogen will continuously decrease over time.

On the other hand, the equation also indicates that energy is released in the process of hydrogen fusion. This energy is in the form of light and heat, and it radiates out from the Sun. So, the amount of helium will increase as more hydrogen is converted into helium, and the amount of energy released will also increase over time.

Based on the above information, it is evident that the Sun will not provide Earth with the right amount of energy forever. Eventually, the Sun will run out of hydrogen fuel and stop producing energy. The lifetime of the Sun depends on the amount of hydrogen it has and the rate of hydrogen fusion. Once the hydrogen is depleted, the Sun will enter a different stage of its life cycle.

User Sayem Siam
by
3.2k points