To determine the mass lost by the Sun per day, we can use the information provided about solar energy and the relationship between energy and mass. The average solar radiation received on Earth is approximately 1.4 kilowatts per square meter, and the average distance from the Earth to the Sun is about 1.5 x 10^11 meters. Let's break this down step by step.
Understanding Solar Energy Output
The Sun emits energy in all directions, and the total power output of the Sun is known as its luminosity. The energy that reaches the Earth is just a small fraction of this total output. The energy received per square meter at the distance of the Earth is 1.4 kW/m².
Calculating Total Energy Received by Earth
To find the total energy received by the Earth, we need to calculate the surface area of a sphere with a radius equal to the average distance from the Earth to the Sun. The formula for the surface area of a sphere is:
Substituting the radius (r = 1.5 x 10^11 m):
- Surface Area = 4π(1.5 x 10^11)²
- Surface Area ≈ 4π(2.25 x 10^22) ≈ 2.83 x 10^23 m²
Now, we can calculate the total power received by Earth:
- Total Power = Solar Radiation × Surface Area
- Total Power = 1.4 kW/m² × 2.83 x 10^23 m²
- Total Power ≈ 3.96 x 10^23 watts
Relating Energy to Mass
According to Einstein's famous equation, E = mc², we can relate energy (E) to mass (m) and the speed of light (c). The speed of light is approximately 3 x 10^8 m/s. Rearranging the equation gives us:
Now, we need to find out how much energy the Sun loses per day. Since we have the total power output, we can calculate the energy lost in one day:
- Energy per day = Total Power × Time
- Energy per day = 3.96 x 10^23 watts × 86400 seconds
- Energy per day ≈ 3.42 x 10^28 joules
Calculating Mass Loss
Now we can find the mass lost by the Sun using the energy calculated:
- m = E/c²
- m = (3.42 x 10^28 joules) / (3 x 10^8 m/s)²
- m ≈ (3.42 x 10^28) / (9 x 10^16) ≈ 3.8 x 10^11 kg
Final Calculation and Answer
Thus, the mass lost by the Sun per day is approximately 3.8 x 10^11 kg. Looking at the options provided:
- 1. 4.4 x 10^9
- 2. 7.6 x 10^14
- 3. 3.8 x 10^12
- 4. 3.8 x 10^14
The closest answer to our calculation is option 3: 3.8 x 10^12 kg.