The sun's mass is made up of around

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4:
The composition of the Sun is overwhelmingly dominated by the lightest elements, Hydrogen and Helium, which account for over 98% of its total mass. Hydrogen is the most abundant element, making up about 71% of the mass, while Helium contributes approximately 27%. The remaining percentage consists of heavier elements, often referred to by astronomers as "metals." Among these heavier elements, Oxygen is the third most abundant element by mass. Based on spectroscopic analysis of the Sun's atmosphere, Oxygen constitutes roughly 0.97% of the Sun's total mass. This percentage reflects a critical understanding of solar physics and stellar nucleosynthesis, where Oxygen and other trace elements are remnants from the material cloud that formed the Sun.

The incorrect option is 1:
25% Oxygen is incorrect because Helium, not Oxygen, accounts for approximately 25% of the Sun's total mass. While Oxygen is the third most abundant element, its contribution to the overall mass is less than 1%.

The incorrect option is 2:
90% Nitrogen is incorrect. Nitrogen is a very minor constituent of the Sun. Along with Carbon and Oxygen, Nitrogen belongs to the group of trace elements whose combined mass percentage is less than 2%. The Sun's mass is predominantly Hydrogen.

The incorrect option is 3:
88.88% Nitrogen is highly inaccurate. As established, Nitrogen is a trace element, making up only about 0.1% of the Sun's mass. Hydrogen and Helium are the only elements that account for such large percentages of the solar mass.