plz help

[stacedude]

if sun went out how long would life on earth continue for before every thing died this is a quetion i must find the answer to for my home work could any one please help

[blike]

You should consider punctuation

 

Its hard to say, really. I would say 6-8 months?? (just a guess). Once photosynthetic plant life dies out, we're pretty much in trouble, since all of our food relies on plants.

 

I'm sure there would be some autochemotrophs at the bottom of the ocean that would survive on unaffected by the sun's disapperance, though eventually I would imagine the effects would be so drastic everything would be wiped out.

[M-CaTZ]

Actually if the sun burned out then life on earth would end instantly or very rapidly, because without sun there is no heat, and without it everything would freeze. The whole earth would become solid, and there would be no life of anysort. Im not sure if you meant the sun going out as in what i just described or just if it remained night for a long time, but the sun was still there. In that case, Blikes theory is feasible.

[fafalone]

I'd give it about a year before humans in advanced countries started dying...

[blike]

Actually if the sun burned out then life on earth would end instantly or very rapidly, because without sun there is no heat, and without it everything would freeze.

 

yea, this is why eventually everything (even things at the bottom of the ocean) would probably freeze; though I'm not sure about the organisms that live around hydrothermal vents.

[Skye]

Energy would be more of a problem than freezing for life to continue. Things can live in both ice and boiling water (well up to 113 C around hydrothermal vents).

 

Without sunlight only life relying on chemical energy would survive, even in the short term. Energy derived from reducing sulphur, such as in archaea in hydrothermal vents, might be the only way to maintain life indefinately.

[Radical Edward]

about 10 to 20 minutes maybe. the sudden disappearance of the light pressure and other fusion related pressures within the sun would cause everything to rapidly fall inwards under gravity. the amount of gravity would be pretty huge, and since you have an entire solar mass suddenly collapsing without the related business of shells of hydrogen wafting off into space, you might well get something like a mini version of a supernova. I will assume for simplicity that it happens very quickly, as I can't be bothered to do the calculations, and that the explosion will occur at speeds near c. light takes 8 minutes to get from the sun to the earth. the resulting explosion would probably kill everything.

[stacedude]

Thanks

@blike

@M-CaTZ

@ fafalone

@Skye

@Radical Edward

 

Thanks alot all of you cheers

[Skye]

I just assumed 'if the sun went out...' to mean no more light.

 

Or maybe the sun figures that as it's been producing light for billions of years, it's earned a night out.

[Radical Edward]

Originally posted by Skye

I just assumed 'if the sun went out...' to mean no more light.

 

so was I.... It is a result of all the radiation pressure, and interactions that cause light that maintains the sun's form. If fusion were to not take place, the sun would be alot smaller.

[stacedude]

i dont really need anserws y i just really need to no how long can we live without sun?

 

i got confused by all ur anserws i am not that scientific

 

plz help

[Radical Edward]

anywhere between 10 minutes and several weeks, there are many factors to take into account. and I am pleased that you ill not be posting about this topic anymore.