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Western Mindanao State University Higher Education Department

This document contains a student's responses to questions about heat transfer, temperature scales, radiation from the Earth and sun, latent heat, and greenhouse gases. The student distinguishes between temperature and heat, explains how heat is transferred through conduction, convection and radiation in the atmosphere, and describes how carbon dioxide and water vapor act as selective absorbers that trap heat but allow sunlight to reach the Earth.

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Yuseff Raffie Aguil
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37 views

Western Mindanao State University Higher Education Department

This document contains a student's responses to questions about heat transfer, temperature scales, radiation from the Earth and sun, latent heat, and greenhouse gases. The student distinguishes between temperature and heat, explains how heat is transferred through conduction, convection and radiation in the atmosphere, and describes how carbon dioxide and water vapor act as selective absorbers that trap heat but allow sunlight to reach the Earth.

Uploaded by

Yuseff Raffie Aguil
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Western Mindanao State University

Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City 7000


Higher Education Department
AY 2019- 2020

Aguil, Yuseff Raffie S. BS – ENE 2


October 18, 2020

1. Distinguish between temperature and heat.


- Heat describes the transfer of thermal energy between molecules within a system and is measured in
Joules. Heat measures how energy moves or flows. While, Temperature describes the average kinetic
energy of molecules within a material or system and is measured in Celsius (°C), Kelvin (K), Fahrenheit
(°F), or Rankine (R).

2. How does the average speed of air molecules relate to the air temperature?
- Temperature is the median temperature of a substance (gas, liquid or solid) of all molecules. When the
temperature of the air is higher, the quicker the air molecules travel. The more rapidly you're going, the
more room to travel.

3. Explain how heat is transferred in our atmosphere by: (a) conduction (b) convection (c) radiation.
- (a) Conduction is the transfer of heat energy from one substance to another or within a substance.
Conduction and is a very effective method of heat transfer in metals. However, air conducts heat poorly.
- (b) Convection is the transfer of heat energy in a fluid. Convection is the transfer of heat energy in a
fluid. This type of heating is most commonly seen in the kitchen with a boiling liquid.
- (c) radiation is a form of heat transfer because the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the source
carries energy away from the source to surrounding (or distant) objects.

4. What is latent heat? How is latent heat an important source of atmospheric energy?
- Latent heat (also known as latent energy or heat of transformation) is energy released or absorbed, by a
body or a thermodynamic system, during a constant-temperature process. Latent heat is an important source
of atmospheric energy because the latent heat released from condensation gives energy to storms, warms air
masses, and grows thunderhead clouds.

5. How does the Kelvin temperature scale differ from the Celsius scale?
- One degree unit on the Celsius scale is equivalent to one degree unit on the Kelvin scale. The only
difference between these two scales is the zero point. This means that 0 K equals -273.15oC and 0oC equals
273.15 K.

6. How does the amount of radiation emitted by the earth differ from that emitted by the sun?
- Earth emits longwave radiation because Earth is cooler than the sun and has less energy available to give
off.

7. How does the temperature of an object influence the radiation it emits?


- The higher the temperature, the faster the electrons vibrate, and the shorter are the wavelengths of the
emitted radiation.

8. How do the wavelengths of most of the radiation emitted by the sun differ from those emitted by the surface
of the earth?
- The wavelengths of the earth are much longer than those of the sun.
9. When a body reaches a radiative equilibrium temperature, what is taking place?
- The earth behaves as a blackbody and absorbs solar radiation while emitting infrared radiation at equal
rates.

10. Why carbon dioxide and water vapor are called selective absorbers?
- Selectively absorbing greenhouse gases only absorb some wavelengths of radiation. Carbon dioxide and
water vapor are the two most important absorbers of radiation. They absorb radiation given off by the earth
and sun. They trap heat in the atmosphere and are known as greenhouse gases. However, they allow the
visible solar radiation from the sun to reach the earth.

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