Nakisima said:I've recreated one of the first experiments I did in Chemistry many times - Water electrolysis to split it into Hydrogen and Oxygen, and prove the existence of hydrogen with a burning splint that goes "pop" in the test tube. The Sun is a massive ball of hydrogen, that uses Nuclear fusion to turn it into Helium. Helium explodes; the Hindenburg proved it, and so does Hydrogen, so why doesn't the sun just explode?
russ_watters said:Oy.
The Hindenberg was filled with hydrogen
Nakisima said:My mistake, history was not my forte.
The sun doesn't explode because of its balance between gravity and nuclear fusion. The immense gravity of the sun holds all of its gases together, while the continuous fusion reactions release enough energy to counteract the inward pull of gravity.
Nuclear fusion is the process in which hydrogen atoms fuse together to form helium, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the process. This energy counteracts the force of gravity pulling the sun's gases inward, maintaining its stability.
The sun's gravity is responsible for keeping all of its gases together in a stable state. This immense force of gravity pulls the hydrogen atoms in towards the center of the sun, keeping it from expanding and exploding.
No, the sun is not at risk of exploding in the near future. It has been burning for about 4.6 billion years and is expected to continue burning for another 5 billion years before it starts to run out of fuel and undergo changes that could potentially lead to its explosion.
The size of the sun is a critical factor in preventing it from exploding. If the sun were smaller, it would not have enough gravity to keep its gases together, and if it were larger, the force of gravity would be too strong, causing it to collapse in on itself and possibly explode. The sun's size is just right to maintain a delicate balance between gravity and nuclear fusion, keeping it stable.