Describe how energy makes its way from the nuclear core of the Sun to the atmosphere. Include the name of each layer and how energy moves through the layer.

Although the Sun is made entirely of gas, it does have a structure.

Energy produced in the center of the Sun flows out through the Sun's

layers in different forms, including visible light.

Energy is released as a result of nuclear reactions in the core of the Sun and travels upward (outward) in the form of light. It keeps doing that in the radiative layer, but as the temperature of the layer drops, the energy (wavelength) of the light drops as well. When the energy gets up to the convective layer, energy gets to the surface by moving the hot material of the Sun itself upward. The energy is released at the surface as light, cools the material.

The interior of the sun:

The Sun's interior generally becomes cooler and less dense as you move away from the center.

1. Core: The center of the Sun, called the core, is made of very dense gas. Temperatures reach about 15 million degrees Celsius. Under these extreme conditions, some hydrogen particles collide and combine to form helium in a process called fusion. The process

releases energy that travels through the core by radiation.

2. Radiative Zone: Energy from the core moves by radiation through

a thick layer called the radiative zone. Although this layer is very

hot and dense, conditions in the radiative zone are not extreme

enough for fusion to occur.

3. Convection Zone: In the convection zone, energy moves mainly by convection. It is the transfer of energy from place to

place by the motion of heated gas or liquid. Rising currents of hot

gas in the convection zone carry energy toward the Sun's surface.

The Sun's Atmosphere

The Sun's outer layers are called its atmosphere. These layers are much

less dense than the interior. The atmosphere generally becomes hotter and less dense as you move outward.