How many times can the earth in the sun?

Answer

Dear Hannah,

perhaps it is best to read this answer together with your parents, they will help you to understand it.

The diameter of the sun is about 109 times larger than that of the Earth. If you increase the radius of a sphere a number of times, the volume will of course also increase, namely “by the cube of the radius”.

Phew, what does that mean?

Suppose you double the radius of a sphere, so you multiply the radius by 2. Then the volume will increase eight times. You have to multiply those 2 by itself three times : 2x2x2, which is eight. That small sphere will therefore fit eight times into the larger one.

Now if you make the radius 5 times bigger, the volume will be 5x5x5 = 125 times bigger. The small sphere will then fit into the larger one 125 times.

So if we increase the radius of the earth 109 times, so that we have the radius of the sun, then the volume becomes 109x109x109 = 1 295 029 times larger.
So the earth fits into the sun 1 295 029 times, so 1 million 295 thousand and 29 times.

However, the sun “only” weighs 330 000 times more than the earth. That’s because “one kilo of sun” weighs about four times less on average than “one kilo of earth”.