There are three main methods of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction occurs through direct contact in solids. Convection is the transfer of heat by fluid movement. Radiation is the emission and absorption of electromagnetic waves. Better heat transfer occurs through rough, dull, black surfaces and larger surface areas compared to smooth, shiny, white surfaces and smaller areas. Solar water heaters use convection to transfer heat from sunlight to water. Vacuum flasks use radiation barriers, convection barriers, and thin glass to prevent heat transfer. The greenhouse effect occurs when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb and emit infrared radiation from the planet's surface, trapping heat and causing global warming.
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Thermal Physics Project Assignment
There are three main methods of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction occurs through direct contact in solids. Convection is the transfer of heat by fluid movement. Radiation is the emission and absorption of electromagnetic waves. Better heat transfer occurs through rough, dull, black surfaces and larger surface areas compared to smooth, shiny, white surfaces and smaller areas. Solar water heaters use convection to transfer heat from sunlight to water. Vacuum flasks use radiation barriers, convection barriers, and thin glass to prevent heat transfer. The greenhouse effect occurs when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb and emit infrared radiation from the planet's surface, trapping heat and causing global warming.
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Sep 4, 2022
Physics Thermal energy
1. Conduction: is the transfer of thermal energy to a solid by
direct contact. Conduction mainly occurs in solids because particles are closer so they collide. The particles in fluids are not as close as those in solids so heat cannot be transferred to fluid by conduction.
Convection: is the transfer of thermal energy by the
movement of fluid. Particles move around in fluids faster when heated due to the space between them. The transfer of heat from one place to another by mass motion of fluid such as water or air is called a convection current, this is what drives the earth’s ocean currents, atmospheric weather and geology.
Radiation: is the process by which energy, in the form of
electromagnetic radiation, is emitted by a heated surface in all directions and travels directly to its point of absorption at the speed of light.
2. A rough surface will absorb and emit heat better than a
smooth surface. A dull surface will absorb and emit heat better than a dull surface
A black surface will absorb and emit heat better than a
white surface
A large surface area will emit heat better than a small
surface area
3. In a solar water heater the cold water goes up to the solar
collector installed on the roof. The collector is heated by absorbing the heat from the sun’s thermal radiation. Then the collector heats up the water through convection.
A vacuum flask works because the silver coating on the
inner bottle prevents heat transfer by radiation, the double wall prevents heat from moving by convection and the thinness of the glass walls prevents the heat from entering or escaping by means of conduction.
4. The greenhouse effect happens when the heat energy from
the sun passes through the atmosphere through radiation and the planet’s atmosphere prevents it from releasing the infrared radiation emitted from the surface of the planet back into space. That heat is then absorbed by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide which results in a warmer planet. As the levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases increase the planet’s overall temperature increases and this is known as global warming.