Nuclear Fusion Research Paper

In this paper, how the sun produces light and heat energy will be discussed. The sun is the most major source of energy and if the sun was not there then Earth and all of its environments would not be able to survive. The sun is mostly hydrogen and produces energy through nuclear reactions. The reactions are specifically nuclear fusions. This is because of hydrogen atoms becoming helium atoms.

Heat, Light, and the Sun It always feels good to go outside when there is just the right amount of breeze and sunshine. The breeze and sunshine together make up the right temperature. The breeze adds a little cool down to match the sun’s heat. The sun also produces the right amount of light so that people can participate in anything from soccer games to cookouts to having fun in the pool. Yet, how is …show more content…
So how does the Sun produce light and heat energy and how is it able to reach Earth from such a long distance? The Earth lies in what is called the sun’s habitual zone (Genesis, n.d.). This means that the Earth is not too close (so we do not burn) or too far away (so we do not freeze). The Sun and all of its light and heat energy is made possible through nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is where the hydrogen atoms in the sun’s core are turned into helium atoms (Fusion, n.d.). Scientists believe that this reaction began when a huge cloud of gas and particles (a nebula) collapsed under the force of its own gravity. This is what is known as the Nebula Theory. This collapse not only created the huge light ball (the Sun) at the center of our Solar System, but it also triggered a process where hydrogen, collected in the core, began fusing to create solar energy (Fusion, n.d.). So what we see or feel as light and heat is actually the result of a fusion reaction. This is where hydrogen nuclei collide, and fuse into the heavier helium atoms which then release a remarkable amount of energy (Fusion,