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Chapter 15: Problem 3

The interstellar medium in the Sun's region of the galaxy is closest in composition to a. the Sun. b. Jupiter. c. Earth d. comets in the Oort Cloud.

Short Answer

Expert verified
a. the Sun.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Composition of Each Option

Understand the compositions: The Sun is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium with trace amounts of heavier elements. Jupiter is primarily hydrogen and helium with some other gases. Earth has a solid crust with oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and many other elements. Comets in the Oort Cloud are composed of ices, dust, and some organic compounds.
02

Compare with the Interstellar Medium

The interstellar medium in the Sun's region of the galaxy is composed mostly of hydrogen and helium with traces of heavier elements and dust.
03

Determine the Closest Similarity

Since both the Sun and the interstellar medium are primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, they have the most similar compositions.
04

Select the Correct Answer

Based on the comparison, the composition of the interstellar medium in the Sun's region of the galaxy is closest to that of the Sun.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Sun's composition
Understanding the composition of the Sun helps us see why the interstellar medium around it is similar. The Sun is mainly made of hydrogen (approximately 74% by mass) and helium (about 24% by mass). Only a tiny fraction, around 2%, consists of heavier elements like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
  • Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe and serves as the Sun's primary fuel for fusion.
  • Helium is produced through the fusion of hydrogen atoms in the Sun's core.
  • Other elements, though in small amounts, are crucial for solar processes and the creation of solar phenomena.
This composition reflects why the interstellar medium, which is mostly hydrogen and helium with traces of dust and other elements, closely matches that of the Sun. The abundance of hydrogen and helium in both ensures they have similar features and behavior.
Hydrogen and helium
Hydrogen and helium are two fundamental elements in our universe.
  • **Hydrogen**: The simplest and most abundant element in the universe, symbolized as H. It has one proton and one electron.
  • **Helium**: The second lightest element, symbolized as He. It has two protons, two neutrons, and two electrons.
These elements are essential in astrophysics and cosmology.
In the Sun, hydrogen atoms fuse to form helium in a process known as nuclear fusion, which releases vast amounts of energy.
  • This fusion process is the primary source of the Sun's energy and light.
  • Even in the interstellar medium, the presence of hydrogen and helium plays a crucial role in star formation and the overall dynamics of galaxies.
The prevalence of these two elements in both the Sun and the interstellar medium underscores their importance in celestial bodies and the structure of our galaxy.
Comparison of celestial bodies
Comparing celestial bodies helps to understand their compositions and behaviors.
  • **The Sun**: As already noted, is dominated by hydrogen and helium.
  • **Jupiter**: This gas giant also has a composition similar to the Sun with mostly hydrogen and helium but contains more other gases like methane, ammonia, and water vapor.
  • **Earth**: Unlike the Sun and Jupiter, Earth is a rocky planet with a solid crust. It has a complex composition of oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, and other heavy elements. Water and organic molecules are also significant.
  • **Comets in the Oort Cloud**: These are mainly made of ices (water, methane, ammonia, etc.), dust, and some organic compounds.
By comparing these bodies, we see that the Sun and Jupiter share similarities due to their primary elements, hydrogen and helium. Earth and comets have more complex and varied compositions, reflecting their different origins and roles in the solar system.
The interstellar medium, mainly comprising hydrogen and helium, is thus more similar to the Sun than to the other celestial bodies.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Neutral hydrogen emits radiation at a radio wavelength of \(21 \mathrm{cm}\) when an atom drops from a higher-energy spin state to a lower-energy spin state. On average, each atom remains in the higher-energy state for 11 million years \(\left(3.5 \times 10^{14} \text { seconds }\right)\). a. What is the probability that any given atom will make the transition in 1 second? b. If there are \(6 \times 10^{59}\) atoms of neutral hydrogen in a \(500-M_{0}\) cloud, how many photons of 21 -cm radiation will the cloud emit each second? c. How does this number compare with the \(1.8 \times 10^{45}\) photons emitted each second by a solar-type star?

Hot intercloud gas is heated primarily by a. starlight. b. the cosmic microwave background radiation. c. supernova explosions d. neutrinos.

What is the single most important property of a star that will determine its evolution? a. temperature b. composition c. mass d. radius

How does the material in interstellar clouds and intercloud gas differ in density and distribution?

Space infrared telescopes: a. Go to NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope website (http://spitzer caltech.edu). Click on "News" and find a recent story about star formation. What did Spitzer observe? What wavelengths do the colors in the picture represent? How does this "false color" help astronomers to analyze these images? Why is it better to study star formation in the infrared than in the visual part of the spectrum? b. Go to the website for ESA's Herschel Space Observatory (http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index cfm?fareaid \(=16\) ), which has a 3.5 -meter primary mirror and is located at Lagrangian point \(L_{2}\). Compare this telescope with Spitzer, which has a 0.85 -meter primary mirror. How much more light-gathering power does Herschel have than Spitzer? Why do astronomers put infrared telescopes in space? What is new from Herschel?
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