Physics Extra Credit

Anonymous High School Student

March 2025

An important energy resource we use throughout our lives is solar energy. Solar energy is energy that is emitted from the sun, which is capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, generating electricity, and is renewable. Humans utilize solar energy for a variety of purposes, such as generating electricity, heating water and buildings, powering vehicles, and cooking food. Humans can do these operations because of solar panels and cookers. The physics behind solar energy includes nuclear fusion, which takes place in the sun. This fusion occurs when the protons of hydrogen atoms collide in the sun’s core so violently that they create a helium atom. This is a process known as PP (proton-proton) chain reaction, and is the reason as to why we can use solar power, as there is so much energy emitted during this process. Therefore, physics is an important entity that controls much of our lives, but helps us power our lives through nuclear fusion and solar energy.