How does the equation E = mc2 relate to the Sun?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: How does the equation E = mc^2 relate to the Sun?

Option 1: The Sun will live approximately 10 billion years. This statement is a general solar evolution estimate, largely tied to the rate of hydrogen burning in the core, but it does not directly explain how E = mc^2 relates to the Sun. The energy production mechanism (fusion and mass–energy equivalence) is not described here, so this option misses the core link to E = mc^2.

Option 2: The magnetic field of the Sun becomes twisted as it rotates. This describes solar magnetism and phenomena like the solar dynamo or coronal loops, not the mass–energy equivalence principle. It doesn’t address how E = mc^2 is involved in the Sun’s energy production, so this option is not correct in relation to the equation.

Option 3: The small mass of hydrogen can release a lot of energy during fusion reactions. This is the key idea: in nuclear fusion, tiny differences in mass are converted into energy according to E = mc^2. In the Sun, hydrogen nuclei fuse to form helium, with a small mass defect that appears as radiant energy. This directly ties the equation to the Sun’s energy generation process, making this option correct and conceptually aligned with mass–energy equivalence.

Option 4: Coronal mass ejections from the Sun can disrupt satellites here at Earth. While coronal mass ejections are important space weather events that can impact satellites, they are not the mechanism described by E = mc^2. The energy released in CMEs is not about converting rest mass into energy in the same way as fusion, so this option does not connect to the equation in question.

Putting the pieces together, option 3 explicitly links mass loss from fusion in the Sun to energy output via E = mc^2, while the other options discuss related solar phenomena or timelines without invoking mass–energy equivalence. The reasoning shows why option 3 correctly embodies the relationship between E = mc^2 and the Sun’s energy production, and why the remaining options fail to capture that specific link.

ASTR-1-45046-F25 Lecture: The Sun

How does the equation E = mc2 relate to the Sun?

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