Raph likes to guilt-trip me about not helping him with his homework. Like I should grade his lab reports and what not after having cleaned the house, done the laundry, cooked dinner and taken care of Makili all day. But occasionally I give in and try to help. Last weekend he wanted help writing questions for his final. He told me I could either read and article about the sun or paintball, and then I'd have to write questions. I don't care too much for paintball, so I chose the sun. It was the most annoying article ever and I quit on the second page after reading this paragraph about the nuclear fusion that takes place in the core of the sun:
The fusion cycle beings when two protons, or hydrogen nuclei collide to form a nucleus of deuterium (2H). This fusion is accompanied by the conversion of a minute amount of mass into energy - a lot of energy. In fact, it is enough energy to cause one of the protons to be converted into a neutron, releasing energy in the form of a positron (*) and a neutrino (v). The positron annhiliates an electron, and two gamma rays (y) are created (this is omitted from the figure for clarity). The deuterium combines with another proton, forming a helium-3 nuceus (3He), releasing a gamma ray in the process. Then two 3He nuclei fuse together to form a normal helium nucleus (4He), ejecting two protons, which start the process over again.
Seriously! He makes his poor students read this garbage. Come on. You're a positron.
