why the sun didn't absorb heavy elements from early solar system?

arman4

Hi,

ive been studying formation of solar system and couldn't find an
explanation for why the sun didn't absorb heavy elements from
early solar system? why they remained around the sun and formed
planets and not get absorbed to the centre?

thanks in advance

HallsofIvy

Probably for the same reason the sun does not "absorb" the planets!

salvestrom

I dunno... Virtual gnomes don't allow it?

They're too 'heavy'? That's at least part of it, right? Inknowledge me!!!

mathman

There are heavy elements in the sun. The four inner planets lost most of their hydrogen and helium because these elements were too light to hold onto.

arman4

thanks, that seems correct, but where do these heavy elements reside in the sun?

Drakkith

There are heavy elements throughout the Sun. The photosphere now has about 16% less heavy elements than it did 4 billion years ago, as the heavy elements have settled slightly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun#Chemical_composition

The gas and dust that formed the solar system had various elements throughout the cloud. During collapse the elements near the center were pulled in and formed the Sun, while the little that remained out of the Sun formed the planets, asteroids, and other small bodies.

arman4

thank you for your complete answer, that cleared my confusion completely

Flatland

There are plenty of heavy elements in the sun. It's probably more than on all the planets combined.