Solution Found!
Answer: The sun is surrounded by a white circle of gaseous
Chapter 7, Problem 132P(choose chapter or problem)
The sun is surrounded by a white circle of gaseous material called the corona, which becomes visible during a total eclipse of the sun. The temperature of the corona is in the millions of degrees Celsius, which is high enough to break up molecules and remove some or all of the electrons from atoms. One way astronomers have been able to estimate the temperature of the corona is by studying the emission lines of ions of certain elements. For example, the emission spectrum of \(\mathrm {Fe^{14+}}\) ions has been recorded and analyzed. Knowing that it takes \(3.5 \times 10^4~ \mathrm{kJ/mol}\) to convert \(\mathrm {Fe^{13+}}\) to \(\mathrm {Fe^{14+}}\), estimate the temperature of the sun's corona. (Hint: The average kinetic energy of one mole of a gas is \(\frac{3}{2}RT\).
Questions & Answers
QUESTION:
The sun is surrounded by a white circle of gaseous material called the corona, which becomes visible during a total eclipse of the sun. The temperature of the corona is in the millions of degrees Celsius, which is high enough to break up molecules and remove some or all of the electrons from atoms. One way astronomers have been able to estimate the temperature of the corona is by studying the emission lines of ions of certain elements. For example, the emission spectrum of \(\mathrm {Fe^{14+}}\) ions has been recorded and analyzed. Knowing that it takes \(3.5 \times 10^4~ \mathrm{kJ/mol}\) to convert \(\mathrm {Fe^{13+}}\) to \(\mathrm {Fe^{14+}}\), estimate the temperature of the sun's corona. (Hint: The average kinetic energy of one mole of a gas is \(\frac{3}{2}RT\).
ANSWER:Step 1 of 3
As an estimate, we can equate the energy for ionization;
