Which element is the main component of the Sun?

Which element is the main component of the Sun? Hydrogen. Hydrogen makes up roughly 74% of the Sun’s mass in its photosphere, far more than any other element. Helium is the second-largest component at about 24%, while oxygen, carbon, iron, and other heavier elements together account for only a small fraction.

The Sun shines because its core fuses hydrogen nuclei into helium through the proton–proton chain. This process releases enormous energy, with a tiny amount of mass converted directly into energy. The Sun formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a cloud composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, so its present composition reflects both its origin and billions of years of fusion.

A common mix-up is to answer helium because fusion produces helium. However, helium is the main fusion product, not the main original element in the Sun. The Sun is also plasma rather than ordinary gas: its intense heat strips electrons from atoms, creating a charged, electrically conducting state.