INTRODUCTION

1. Ancient people and the Sun
2. What happens when the Sun's lights goes out?
3. Why is the Sun important to life on Earth?
4. How long will the Sun last?

Why is the Sun important to life on Earth?

The sun is important to life on Earth because:

1. The Sun provides the energy for almost all life on Earth including you.

2. The Sun's energy provides all of the energy that keeps the Earth's climate just right, not too hot or cold, within a very narrow temperature range where water remains liquid.

3. Practically everything that moves across the surface of the Earth is ultimately powered by the Sun whether alive or not. The Sun's energy is distributed around the Earth's surface by winds and ocean currents.

Only a few Earth features are not fueled by the sun. They are:

1. The movement of the Earth's tectonic plates

2. Organisms dependent on chemosynthetic food webs

3. Geothermal circulation

The remaining Earth processes that are not powered by the Sun are powered by:

1. Radioactive decay in the Earth

2. Heating of the Earth's interior by loss of potential energy

To think About:

1. You were directly fueled by the last meal you ate. Can you trace all of the components of that meal back to the Sun?

To explore:

• TBA