Question

Arrange the steps in order to explain how the Sun's magnetic field heats the solar atmosphere. (Place the first step at the top.)

a) Magnetic fields become twisted and stressed.
b) Energy is released through magnetic reconnection.
c) Charged particles are accelerated by magnetic fields.
d) Heat is transferred to the solar atmosphere.

Answer 1

To describe how the Sun's magnetic field heats its atmosphere, one must start with the twisting of magnetic fields, followed by magnetic reconnection, acceleration of charged particles, and the transfer of heat to the atmosphere.

Step-by-step explanation:

The steps to explain how the Sun's magnetic field heats the solar atmosphere can be arranged in a logical sequence to describe the complex process:

1. Magnetic fields become twisted and stressed due to the differential rotation of the Sun.
2. Energy is released through magnetic reconnection, a process where twisted magnetic field lines snap and reconnect, releasing energy.
3. Charged particles are accelerated by the magnetic fields, gaining energy in the process.
4. Heat is transferred to the solar atmosphere, raising its temperature.

This sequence begins with the twisting of magnetic field lines caused by the Sun's rotation and ends with the heating of the solar atmosphere, a phenomenon evident in sunspots and other solar activities.