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29.1 The Sun
Use each of the terms below just once to complete the passage.
chromosphere
corona
gaseous
ions
mass
photosphere
solar eclipse
solar system
solar wind
The Sun is the largest object in our (1) ______________________________________________________. Its (2)____________________________
controls the motions of the planets. The center of the Sun is very dense. The high temperature at its center causes the solar
interior to be (3) _______________________________ throughout.
The visible surface of the Sun is called the (4) _______________________________________________. It is the lowest layer of the
Sun and is approximately 400km (249mi) in thickness. The average temperature is 5,800°K (9,980°F).
Above the visible layer is the (5) ______________________________________________. It is approximately 2,500km (1,553mi)
thick and has a temperature of nearly 30,000°K (53,540°F) at the top. Without special filters, this layer is visible only during a
(6) _____________________________________________________.
The top layer of the Sun’s atmosphere is the (7) _____________________________________. It has a temperature range of
1 million to 2 million °K (1,799,540°F to 3,599,540°F). Gas flows outward from this layer at high speeds and forms the
(8) _________________________________________________. It is made up of charged particles, or (9) ____________________________, which flow
outward through the entire solar system.
Match the terms in column B to the correct meaning in column A.
Answer
Column A
Column B
10. Cooler areas on the surfaces of the photosphere
that appear darker than the surrounding areas
on the Sun
11. A period of 22.4 years in which the number of
sunspots on the Sun changes regularly and the
Sun’s magnetic field reverses.
12. Violent eruptions of particles and radiation from
the surface of the Sun.
13. Arc of gas ejected from the photosphere
a. Prominence

b. Solar flares
c. Sunspots
d. Solar activity cycle
14. What is fusion? Where does it take place in the Sun? ________________________________________________________________________________
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15. What is the process that transfers the Sun’s energy from particle to particle? Where does this process take place?
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16. How far, as a percentage, does the radiative zone extend to the photosphere? ____________________________________________________
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17. What is the process that carries the Sun’s energy the rest of the way to the Sun’s surface? What carries the energy?
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Label each layer of the Sun using the following terms.
convective zone
radiative zone
core
18.
19.
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