How Does the Sun's Power Output Compare to a Car Battery?

In summary, the conversation discusses the comparison between the sun and a car battery in terms of power and energy emitted over their respective lifetimes. The sun's interior produces 0.2 milliwatts per kilogram through nuclear reactions while a car battery typically produces 190 watts per kilogram. When estimating the total energy emitted over their lifetimes, the sun wins due to its longer expected lifetime of 5 billion years compared to a car battery's 3 years. For part C, the use of Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2 can be considered to determine the sun's main-sequence lifetime if it had the same power output per kilogram as a car battery.
  • #1
seto6
251
0

Homework Statement


A) How many W does 1 kg of the sun’s interior produce via nuclear reactions, on average? Compare the sun with a carbattery, which typically produces 190 W/kg. Which body wins?

B) Estimating the time the two objects are providing their respective power, compare the energy in kWh that 1kg of the two objects emit over their lifetime (one discharge time in case of the battery). Which object wins thiscompetition?

C) Assuming that the total radiated energy remains the same (it depends on the initial amount of hydrogen that willeventually convert to helium), what would be the main-sequence lifetime of the sun if it produced as much wattageper unit mass as the battery? Would life on Earth exist then? Would life anywhere else in the solar system exist?

Homework Equations



not sure

The Attempt at a Solution


for part i A) did solar luminosity/solarmass=0.2millwatt/kg so for 1kg is 0.2milliwatt and for care batt is 190w...so car wins...

for part B) not sure what to do hints would be great.. I am not under standing it...
EDIT: or can someone explain the part B because I am not under standing it.!

part C) i can do after part B..
 
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  • #2
anyone?
 
  • #3
kinda urgent. I am not understanding what the question B is asking since i don't know thw life times
 
  • #4
hints are welcomed
 
  • #5
seto6 said:

Homework Statement


A) How many W does 1 kg of the sun’s interior produce via nuclear reactions, on average? Compare the sun with a carbattery, which typically produces 190 W/kg. Which body wins?

B) Estimating the time the two objects are providing their respective power, compare the energy in kWh that 1kg of the two objects emit over their lifetime (one discharge time in case of the battery). Which object wins thiscompetition?

for part B) not sure what to do hints would be great.. I am not under standing it...
EDIT: or can someone explain the part B because I am not under standing it.!

part C) i can do after part B..

kWh is another way to say Joules, or energy.
Expected lifetime of a car battery at 50% duty cycle... 3 years to be optimist.
Expected lifetime of the sun... let's say 5 billions years.
Convert the two times in hours, then multiply by the respective power emitted per kilogram.

Part B is just that, the asker wants to know how much is the total energy the two systems can give over their entire lifetime.

How did you get the solar W/kg ?
 
  • #6
solar luminosity/solar mass = W/KgP.S thank you Quinzio.seto
 
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  • #7
hey.. could someone hint me in part C

for part c can i assume that i can use E=mc^2
 

What is the definition of wattage of a star?

The wattage of a star refers to the amount of energy that the star produces per second. It is a measurement of the star's luminosity, or its brightness as seen from Earth.

How is the wattage of a star calculated?

The wattage of a star is calculated by multiplying its surface area by its effective temperature and the Stefan-Boltzmann constant. This calculation takes into account the star's size and temperature to determine its energy output.

What is the average wattage of the Sun?

The Sun has an average wattage of about 3.8 x 10^26 watts. This is equivalent to about 3.8 trillion trillion watts, making it the most powerful source of energy in our solar system.

Can the wattage of a star change over time?

Yes, the wattage of a star can change over time as it goes through different stages of its life cycle. For example, as a star runs out of fuel, it may become cooler and dimmer, resulting in a decrease in its wattage.

How is the wattage of a star related to its color?

The wattage of a star is directly related to its color. The hotter and more luminous a star is, the bluer it will appear. On the other hand, cooler and less luminous stars tend to appear more red in color.

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