Question

The radius of the sun is 0.7 million km. What percentage of the radius is taken up by the chromosphere?

Answer 1

The percentage of the radius of the sun taken up by the chromosphere is approximately `~~ 1.43%`.

Explanation:

The radius of the sun is approximately `700,000 km` and the chromosphere is a thin part of the solar atmosphere which extends `~~ 10000 km` above the photosphere. Thus the percentage of the radius of the sun taken up by the chromosphere is `((10,000 km)/(700,000km))*100% ~~ 1,43%`.

This is the depth of the chromosphere taking into account the spicules which are structures that appear on the chromosphere and from there extend up into the corona. Considering only the chromosphere without the spicules it's depth is approximately `~~ 5,000km`. Then the percentage of the radius of the sun it takes up is `~~ ((5,000 km)/(700,000km))*100% ~~ 0.71%`.