Approximately 4x10^9 kg of matter is converted into energy in the sun per second. Express the power output of the sun in watts.
To express the power output of the sun in watts, we need to use the equation P = E/t, where P is power, E is the energy, and t is the time.
Given that approximately 4x10^9 kg of matter is converted into energy per second, we can say that the energy produced by the sun per second (E) is 4x10^9 kg.
To convert this energy into watts, we need to multiply it by the conversion factor c^2, where c is the speed of light in meters per second. The speed of light is approximately 3x10^8 m/s.
So, the power output of the sun (P) is:
P = (4x10^9 kg) x (3x10^8 m/s)^2
To simplify this calculation, we can first square the speed of light:
P = (4x10^9 kg) x (9x10^16 m^2/s^2)
Next, we multiply the values:
P = 36x10^25 kg·m^2/s^2
Finally, we can use scientific notation to express the result:
P = 3.6x10^26 watts
Therefore, the power output of the sun is approximately 3.6x10^26 watts.