AaS! 91: Could we blow up a star?

Ask a Spaceman!

Paul M. Sutter

Astrophysics, Science, Cosmos, Holes, Black, Astronomy, Natural Sciences, Universe, Cosmology, Space, Physics

4.8 • 853 Ratings

🗓️ 6 November 2018

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How much energy is needed to blow up the sun? How is this connected to the idea of binding energy? Where is all the energy in the universe? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!

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Music by Jason Grady and Nick Bain. Thanks to WCBE Radio for hosting the recording session, Greg Mobius for producing, and Cathy Rinella for editing.

Hosted by Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist at The Ohio State University, Chief Scientist at COSI Science Center, and the one and only Agent to the Stars (http://www.pmsutter.com).

Transcript

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0:00.0	Let's talk about energy.
0:09.0	Of course, there's the common everyday sense of the word energy, and of course there's
0:15.9	the physics jargon definition of the word energy.
0:19.9	And for once, lucky for us, the common everyday sense of the word is actually close to
0:28.1	the physics jargon sense of the word.
0:30.0	This almost never happens.
0:32.2	It's always the opposite.
0:33.4	So I found that remarkable.
0:34.8	And so I just wanted to get that out there is when you use the word energy in everyday conversation,
0:40.1	that's actually pretty close to the way a physicist uses the word energy to explain something about the world.
0:47.9	Like why did you eat your cereal for breakfast?
0:51.2	Because you needed the energy.
0:53.3	Why did you need energy? Because you have work to do.
0:56.9	And the physics definition of the word energy is the ability to do work. Okay, okay. So I guess we have to
1:06.7	define that word. It's not like digging ditches or pushing paper. I mean, yes, that is work,
1:13.1	but the way you would use the word work isn't the same way a physicist would use the word work.
1:19.1	Work is force applied over a distance. That's it. If you want to apply a force over a distance,
1:26.8	imagine pushing a box across the floor that is work
1:31.7	and that requires energy. And that energy is transferred from you to the box as you push it
1:41.0	across the floor. And energy comes in so many delicious flavors,
1:46.4	and if you haven't tried them all, you really should.
1:49.0	There's the kinetic energy, the energy of something moving.
	...

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