The energy Earth receives from the Sun comes from
A.
the mechanical motion of the planets orbiting the Sun.
B.
the burning of oxygen and carbon within the Sun's core.
C.
the burning of hydrogen and helium within the Sun's core.
D.
the mechanical motion of the Sun rotating around its axis.
C. the burning of hydrogen and helium within the Sun's core.
The energy Earth receives from the Sun comes from:
C. the burning of hydrogen and helium within the Sun's core.
The correct answer is C. The energy Earth receives from the Sun comes from the burning of hydrogen and helium within the Sun's core. This process is called nuclear fusion.
To arrive at this answer, you can eliminate options A, B, and D by understanding the basic principles of how the Sun works.
Option A states that the energy Earth receives is due to the mechanical motion of the planets orbiting the Sun. However, this cannot be true because the energy received from the Sun is much greater than the small amount of energy due to the gravitational interaction between the planets and the Sun.
Option B suggests that the energy comes from the burning of oxygen and carbon within the Sun's core. However, the Sun primarily consists of hydrogen and helium, not oxygen and carbon. Oxygen and carbon burning occurs in different types of stars, such as red giants, not in the Sun.
Option D claims that the energy comes from the mechanical motion of the Sun rotating around its axis. While this motion is important for various phenomena on the Sun, it does not generate the massive amount of energy emitted by the Sun.
Therefore, option C is the correct answer because nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium is the process that releases huge amounts of energy in the form of light and heat, which is then radiated by the Sun and reaches Earth.