How the Sun works: Fusion and Quantum Tunneling

Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute!

In this episode, we learn about how the sun can burn for billions of years without running out of fuel.

Music by Nathaniel Schroeder

[Mediamessengers]

Your marker is going dry bro. That's my intellectual contribution to this video.

[laonmisa]

You've given me proverbial "blue balls" after talking about Quantum Tunneling but not explaining it.

[DaniPaunov]

The Day Light™ has been Brought™ to you by Quantum™ Mechanics™™
©Quantum Mechanics 16.8 Billion BC - 2016

[neonmarkov]

"You must be this hot to ride"

[genericnameman]

Doesn't the sun use its extreme pressure to be able to fuse at lower temperaturrs?

[Jabulani]

The needlestack anology was brilliant. Hilarious!

[TheEedis]

Goodness.. You have gone a long way in making videos! I didn't realize this video was so old at first, lol. Thanks for the videos, mate!

[googelplussucksys]

I am now an expert in quantum tunneling.

[PaoloCastelletti]

What is exactly the "small chance" that fusion happens at sun temperature and pressure in terms of probability ? It would be interesting to know :)

[doorknobquestion]

I love your videos. As a teacher myself I appreciate the effort and the knowledge. Keep it up

[morgansullivan]

I'm impressed you know everyone well enough to speak for us.

[Q--_--]

It's quite brilliant how things work.

[MrYeahman]

More people need to watch these cause the simplicity of it and the feeling of actually learning something mean that it'll probably be liked by most people

[dudemanbobthing]

You should make longer videos. I know it's called minute physics, but I think a bit more detail would be really cool.

[vagmahesh]

If Quantum tunneling powers up the sun, then as the time passes by, the number of hydrogen atom keeps reducing, and so lesser and lesser hydrogen should fuse (cause probability of fusing remains the same, but the total number is decreasing).. that means as time passses by the fusion rate and thus the energy given out keeps decreasing? 

[explosion]

"when the sun shines tomorrow thank quantum mechanics" How did he know I was watching this at 3 AM?

[lightishred]

I know it's probably been said several times now, but Submarines are fission not fusion.

[chris]

So... Basically... Praise the sun \[T]/

[simon]

Just so you know, your channel is AWESOME!

[EbenVisher]

I felt left hanging. I hope some other MP video explains the quantum tunneling. Thanks for these wonderful videos.