However, there is no way to measure the composition of the universe as a whole, because different objects have different compositions. As explained in Radiation and Spectra, we can use a star’s absorption line spectrum to determine what elements are present. Iron and other lighter elements are then produced through continuous fusion reactions by the above-mentioned elements. About 73% of the Sun’s mass is hydrogen, and another 25% is helium. Composition of Earth's crust The table of elements at left was constructed from analysis of the solar spectrum, which comes from the photosphere and chromosphere of the Sun. These trace elements make up less than 0.1 percent of the mass of the Sun. Which elements are made in the sun? There are smaller amounts of other materials, but these are less than 1%. There is no element which makes up about 10% of the sun. But it’s the sun’s tiny concentration of heavier elements, which astronomers call metals, that controls its fate. Composition of the Sun’s Atmosphere. But it is thought to be representative of the entire Sun with the exception of the solar core because of the degree of mixing which takes place between the layers of the Sun's interior. The sun is a big ball of gas and plasma. Like any star in its prime, the sun consists mainly of hydrogen atoms fusing two by two into helium, unleashing immense energy in the process. The two elements came from the Big Bang process and account for 98% of the celestial object's mass. It is converted into energy in the sun's core. If you know the answer to this question, please register to join our limited beta program and start the conversation right now! There are only trace amounts of other elements, including oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, silicon, magnesium, neon, iron, and sulfur. These elements, in turn, produce the ones that are near iron on the periodic table -- cobalt, manganese and ruthenium. Helium is produced in the sun's core as it burns hydrogen. Once iron is formed, nuclear fusion in the star’s core comes to a stop. r/askscience: Ask a science question, get a science answer. Overview: Scientists seek to understand what the universe is made of. Most of the gas — 91 percent — is hydrogen. Radioactive decay of unstable isotopes also occurs. It takes a good amount of physics to describe what the sun is made of and how that stuff changes over time. The steps are: 1. Combine that with the fact that there's no good pathway to get the elements between helium and carbon (lithium, beryllium and boron are produced from cosmic rays, not inside of … It turns out that the Sun contains the same elements as Earth but not in the same proportions. They try to determine the relative abundances of the different elements. The sun is continuously making oxygen in the CNO cycle. Hydrogen and Helium - Major Components of the Sun The sun is chemically composed of hydrogen and helium. Solar Structure and Composition I'm not sure how true this is to the question but I thought the heaviest element created strictly by the sun's fusion reactions is the element Iron because when you fuse to create Iron you are no longer having a fusion that generates energy. How we know what the sun is made of. Let’s begin by asking what the solar atmosphere is made of. We need you to answer this question! A proton merges with a carbon12 nucleus (6 protons, 6 neutrons) to make nitrogen 13 (7 protons, 6 neutrons) 2.