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Key Idea #4: Nuclear reactions that take place in the sun produce heat and light. The sun is the main source of Earth’s energy, and also the major cause of heat in our atmosphere. jcoppens.com. Nuclear reactions.
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Key Idea #4: Nuclear reactions that take place in the sun produce heat and light. • The sun is the main source of Earth’s energy, and also the major cause of heat in our atmosphere. jcoppens.com
Nuclear reactions • occur when atoms change their structure to become new atoms and release large amounts of energy. • leave the sun as light and heat energy. http://www.bbc.co.uk/solarsystem/sun_and_planets/sun
Light energy is electromagnetic radiation that travels from the sun in the form of an electromagnetic wave. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.isvr.soton.ac.uk/spcg/tutorial/tutorial/Tutorial_files/light1.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.isvr.soton.ac.uk/spcg/tutorial/tutorial/Tutorial_files/Web-further-light.htm&usg=__2yhUcS72yF7_ti7JagTBkU4eJBU=&h=360&w=490&sz=1958&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=pal672SrbQfX6M:&tbnh=138&tbnw=188&prev=/images%3Fq%3Delectromagnetic%2Bwaves%2Banimation%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1003%26bih%3D567%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=360&ei=24qiTOWuD5KznAealKyIBA&oei=24qiTOWuD5KznAealKyIBA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&tx=125&ty=63
Electromagnetic waves include: • Radio waves • Microwaves • Infrared rays • Visible light • Ultraviolet rays • X-rays • Gamma rays
FYI: Electromagnetic waves • travel about 300,000 kilometers per second in a vacuum (300,000,000 m/s). • take about 8 minutes to travel 150,000,000 km to Earth.
Electromagnetic waves • are not mechanical waves. • do not involve the motion of matter. • do not need a medium to travel through. • can travel through the vacuum of space.