Question

Let's calculate what volume of interstellar gas is required to make a star like our sun, assuming that we use gas at densities typical for the interstellar medium (1 atom per cm^3).

a) X cubic units
b) Y cubic units
c) Z cubic units
d) W cubic units

Answer 1

The volume of interstellar gas required to make a star like our sun is approximately 1.176 × 10^57 cubic units.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the volume of interstellar gas required to make a star like our sun, we can use the formula:

total mass = volume × density of atoms × mass per atom

Given the average density of interstellar gas as 1 atom per cm³, and the mass of a hydrogen atom as 1.7 × 10-27 kg, we can calculate the volume:

volume = total mass / (density of atoms × mass per atom) = (2.0 × 1030 kg) / (1 atom/cm³ × 1.7 × 10-27 kg) = 1.176 × 1057 cm³

Therefore, the volume of interstellar gas required to make a star like our sun is approximately 1.176 × 1057 cubic units.