Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion Physics Forum Sun burning out

I understand the Sun is made up of lots of different gases and even some other elements. Can anyone explain to me why the Sun doesn't just explode. Are there any examples or analogies that are on earth that would relate why the sun burns at a constant rate or seemingly endless supply of whatever it is burning.
Maybe it cannot be thought of as burning as a candle does, or as vent fumes from an oil well. Someone please explain to me. Thanks in advance

Pressure of radiation prohibits the Sun in collapse and faster burning.

Before you get a reply from someone who really knows their stuff, I think I can safely say this much...

The sun's power source, i.e. the fusion of hydrogen into helium, creates sufficient outward pressure to prevent it collapsing under it's own gravity. In other words, it has hydrostatic equilibrium. However, the current prediction is that the sun will increase its energy output gradually, but enough to make Earth uninhabitable within a couple of billion years.

Eventually, about 5 billion years from now, the hydrogen core will be depleted. in the absence of internal radiation pressure, gravity will finally win, and the sun will implode then 'bounce', expanding to become a comparatively enormous red giant (beyond Earth orbit in radius). It will then be sustaining itself through fusing helium into carbon. Finally, when the helium is finished, the outer layers will be lost. It will become an Earth-sized white dwarf, which will cool, over billions of years, into a cold black lump of carbon called a black dwarf.

No black hole, neutron star, or spectacular supernova for a star as small as Sol. Just a lump of coal

Bradmcquaid, I'm sorry, my post above doesn't answer the 'constant rate' part of your question.

There are two related reasons.

(a) bearing in mind that the fusion takes place in the sun's core, not all the hydrogen atoms are in the core at any given time

(b) those hydrogen atoms that do happen to be in the core will not all simultaneously fuse into helium

It's a matter of chance - literally a hit and miss affair, governed by the laws of probability.

I hope that, added to the hydrostatic equilibrium already mentioned, makes it more clear.

It can serve as an evidence of old theory , Sun is burning like huge piece of coal. Which basically means, the stellar evolution presented by you supports creation - because if the Universe would be older, then some 6,000 years, then the coal at the Sun would be depleted already. The existence of fossil fuel and chondrites rich of carbon supports the solar coal hypothesis as well...

Zephir: "It can serve as an evidence of old theory , Sun is burning like huge piece of coal. Which basically means, the stellar evolution presented by you supports creation - because if the Universe would be older, then some 6,000 years, then the coal at the Sun would be depleted already."

Tut-tut. I should be careful to use plain English, avoiding humorous similes and the vernacular.
Not coal, just carbon, OK?

To repeat:

The carbon of which the black dwarf sun will be composed will be almost entirely manufactured from the fusion of helium during the red giant phase, following the depletion of hydrogen.