How does energy from the Sun's core reach the planets?

• A. It travels through solid channels inside the sun.
• B. It is transported by solar wind particles only.
• C. It is carried by magnetic field lines alone.
• D. It radiates outward through space toward the planets.

Answer: (D)

The Sun’s energy reaches the planets mainly as electromagnetic radiation traveling outward through space. Energy is produced in the core and moves outward through the Sun’s interior by radiation and convection until it reaches the surface, where photons escape. These photons are what form sunlight—visible light and other wavelengths—that travel through space and warm the planets. While the solar wind does carry energy in the form of charged particles, it’s not the primary way the core’s energy reaches planets, and magnetic fields don’t transport energy on their own. So the essential idea is that energy radiates outward through space toward the planets.