Solar energy

While I'm at the questions, how does the sun provide as much energy as it does, yet it is only 32 miles in diameter? The sun consists of 70 276 km³ of __________________?

Who say it is 70 276 km3?  What formula did you use to get that number from 32 miles?

Who say it is 70 276 km3?  What formula did you use to get that number from 32 miles?

Were you not paying attention in school old chap ?

Four-thirds-pi-r-cubed..

Does it matter?

32 miles = 51.499008 km

Volume of a sphere = 4/3 x π x r³.

If the diameter of the sun is 51.499008 km, then its radius is 25.749504 km. Therefore the sun's volume is 71 514.682172105352623357560440368 km³.

I used a slightly more approximate calculation (1 mile = 1.6 km approximation, and π to 9 decimal places and then rounded off the answer).

The question still stands.

While I'm at the questions, how does the sun provide as much energy as it does, yet it is only 32 miles in diameter? The sun consists of 70 276 km³ of __________________?

FET does not attempt to say, which is a perfectly reasonable standpoint. Do you know how dense the sun is?  What the core is made of?  Your question needs to include these factors, because volume is not the "decider".  Then you will need to find the answer.

Sure, density is a big factor. That's why I ask what the sun is made of.

If ALL the energy emitted by the sun reached the earth's surface, at 22.587 g/cm³ (density of Osmium) the sun would last for approximately 44.5 billion years. I calculated that the cone of sunlight hitting the earth is about 120 degrees. This is a fraction of the whole sphere of energy emitted by the sun. Then take into account the amount of energy absorbed by the atmosphere and reflected by the earth (atmosphere and ground). In other words, a small fraction of the sun's emitted energy reaches the earth's surface. The earth is 4.5 billion years old and going strong. Let's say 10% of the sun's total emitted energy reaches the surface and the sun's average density is that of Osmium. Then the sun should have depleted half a billion years ago.

Sure, density is a big factor. That's why I ask what the sun is made of.

If ALL the energy emitted by the sun reached the earth's surface, at 22.587 g/cm³ (density of Osmium) the sun would last for approximately 44.5 billion years. I calculated that the cone of sunlight hitting the earth is about 120 degrees. This is a fraction of the whole sphere of energy emitted by the sun. Then take into account the amount of energy absorbed by the atmosphere and reflected by the earth (atmosphere and ground). In other words, a small fraction of the sun's emitted energy reaches the earth's surface. The earth is 4.5 billion years old and going strong. Let's say 10% of the sun's total emitted energy reaches the surface and the sun's average density is that of Osmium. Then the sun should have depleted half a billion years ago.

Luckily for us it hasn't.  Thankfully, the sun has obviously made a mistake in its calculations.

FET does not attempt to say, which is a perfectly reasonable standpoint.

It's a perfectly stupid standpoint.

The goal of science is to discover & explain stuff.  Science has already come up with a massive body of knowledge about the sun. 

It's a ball of hydrogen & heluim massing 1.99 x 10³⁰ kilos, 1.39 million km in diameter, running on hydrogen fusion. 

It's mass can be verified by the fact that every every single planet, minor planet, asteroid & comet can have it's orbital parameter worked out from observation, and when those parameters are plugged into a simple equation based on the inverse square law, it calculates the mass of the sun at EXACTLY the same amount down to the limits of your observational accuracies.

There is an entire science devoted to studying the Sun.  It's called Solar Physics, and it examines it's atmosphere, it's magnetic behaviour, it's chemistry, the cycle of sunspots & how the sun compares to similar stars in the sky.

Every solar physicist is in agreement over the basics - like how big it is & what powers it.

It you want to come along & say - actually it's only 50km across, then YOU are the one making an outrageous claim, and YOU are the one who needs to come up with an explanation of how a body only 50km across can generate all the energy that is being transferred to the surface of the earth & keep going for thousands of years of recorded history - let alone the 4.5 billion years that scientists know it's been running for.

Until you can do that - you're not a scientist - you're some bloke talking bobbins on an internet forum.

I'm accepting the answer as "we don't know." Easy answer to an easy question, actually. Doesn't prove RE or FE.

How about my other question?
http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php/topic,56953.0.html

Surely that's also an easy one?

A: The sun and moon, each 32 miles in diameter, rotate at a height of 3,000 miles above sea level.

Sure, density is a big factor. That's why I ask what the sun is made of.

If ALL the energy emitted by the sun reached the earth's surface, at 22.587 g/cm³ (density of Osmium) the sun would last for approximately 44.5 billion years.

Can't have Osmium I'm afraid.

Emission spectra of the sun shows that it's convective photosphere 74.9% Hydrogen, 23.8% Helium.

So not only is the density & therefore the mass many orders of magnitude lowere than the extremely generous figure you have allowed the FE'ers, but they now need to explain what is holding this ball of light gas together.

Quote from: Wolf on December 13, 2012, 05:08:20 AM

Sure, density is a big factor. That's why I ask what the sun is made of.

If ALL the energy emitted by the sun reached the earth's surface, at 22.587 g/cm³ (density of Osmium) the sun would last for approximately 44.5 billion years.

Can't have Osmium I'm afraid.

Emission spectra of the sun shows that it's convective photosphere 74.9% Hydrogen, 23.8% Helium.

So not only is the density & therefore the mass many orders of magnitude lowere than the extremely generous figure you have allowed the FE'ers, but they now need to explain what is holding this ball of light gas together.

You have said that the "photosphere" is made of hydrogen and helium.

You then presume that the sun is a "Ball of light gas". You have therefore made a huge assumption about the composition of the whole sun, based on the surface emission.  You cannot see the sun's interior, but you know believe it is the same material, based on an observation of its surface.

You have said that the "photosphere" is made of hydrogen and helium.

You then presume that the sun is a "Ball of light gas". You have therefore made a huge assumption about the composition of the whole sun, based on the surface emission.  You cannot see the sun's interior, but you know believe it is the same material, based on an observation of its surface.

Oh dear - I do apologise - all that crazy science I learned while doing my Masters degree in Solar Physics got in the way of the argument.

What I meant to say is that it can't have a density quite that high, and you need to explain what's sticking this layer of extremely hot gas to the surface of an extremely hot ball of something that's generating an amount of energy that you can't explain either.

And don't even think about trying to invoke the electromagnetic force, since the electromagnetic fields of the sun are already very well understood thanks to the sunspot cycle, and are actually the thing responsible for occasionally throwing huge amounts of gas away from the sun in the form of coronal mass ejections - gas that hits us at over a couple of million kilometers per hour, a couple of days after we watch it being flung out from the sun.  Which is only 5,000 kilometers away.

You can't explain any of this can you ?

Actually - thinking about it..

We know that the surface of the sun is ~5,800^o from it's black-body radiation.

This is above the boiling point of pretty much every element in the periodic table.

Since the photosphere of the sun is convective (a process that can be observed with telescopes), there is no way that the photosphere can avoid dragging heavier elements up from lower levels.

So basically - if it's 32miles across & 5,800^o, then it's a ball of gas. 

What's holding it together & how the hell is it generating all that energy ?

Does it matter?

32 miles = 51.499008 km

Volume of a sphere = 4/3 x π x r³.

If the diameter of the sun is 51.499008 km, then its radius is 25.749504 km. Therefore the sun's volume is 71 514.682172105352623357560440368 km³.

I used a slightly more approximate calculation (1 mile = 1.6 km approximation, and π to 9 decimal places and then rounded off the answer).

The question still stands.

lrn2sigfig
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Significant_figures

this may be a batshit insane conspiracy theory, but we should still use proper science when evaluating it.

Quote from: Wolf on December 13, 2012, 04:52:40 AM

Does it matter?

32 miles = 51.499008 km

Volume of a sphere = 4/3 x π x r³.

If the diameter of the sun is 51.499008 km, then its radius is 25.749504 km. Therefore the sun's volume is 71 514.682172105352623357560440368 km³.

I used a slightly more approximate calculation (1 mile = 1.6 km approximation, and π to 9 decimal places and then rounded off the answer).

The question still stands.

lrn2sigfig
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Significant_figures

this may be a batshit insane conspiracy theory, but we should still use proper science when evaluating it.

The OP used far fewer significant digits. What you quoted was done for dramatic effect.