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THE SUN

AND ITS RADIATION SPECTRUM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U3ucaVzRqQ

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THE SUN MAKES ENERGY FROM NUCLEAR FUSION

  • The pressure inside the Sun forces 4 atoms to fuse into 1 atom

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4 HYDROGEN ATOMS FUSE INTO 1 HELIUM ATOM….

e-

+

e-

+

e-

+

e-

+

e-

e-

+

+

proton

neutron

e-

electron

+

…GIVING OUT ENERGY

An exergonic reaction

4H

He

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ENERGY TRAVELS AS PARTICLES (PHOTONS) & WAVES

Waves are measured by the distance in nanometres (nm)

from one peak to the next (1nm =1x10-9 m)

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WHAT IS VISIBLE LIGHT?

Energy between 400 to 700nm

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We ‘see’ the visible spectrum (interpreted by retinal cells in our eyes) when wave-lengths between 400 and 700nm pass through water droplets in air that act as a prism (refraction)

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ENERGY WITH SHORTER WAVE-LENGTHS IS CALLED…

..ULTRAVIOLET

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ENERGY WITH LONGER WAVE-LENGTHS IS CALLED...

..INFRARED, or HEAT

This is the heat energy that lizards need for metabolising their food