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Understanding Thermal Radiation Basics

Radiation is the transfer of thermal energy through electromagnetic waves, even in a vacuum. The Sun's thermal energy reaches Earth through radiation in the form of infrared waves. Anything hot, including the Sun, radiates infrared waves that transfer energy to anything absorbing them, causing it to warm up. Black, dull surfaces are better radiators and absorbers of heat than white, shiny surfaces, so a black t-shirt will get hotter than a white one in sunlight.

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Fatima Kabir
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57 views12 pages

Understanding Thermal Radiation Basics

Radiation is the transfer of thermal energy through electromagnetic waves, even in a vacuum. The Sun's thermal energy reaches Earth through radiation in the form of infrared waves. Anything hot, including the Sun, radiates infrared waves that transfer energy to anything absorbing them, causing it to warm up. Black, dull surfaces are better radiators and absorbers of heat than white, shiny surfaces, so a black t-shirt will get hotter than a white one in sunlight.

Uploaded by

Fatima Kabir
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

UNIT 11 - ENERGY

LESSON 4 - RADIATION
So far we’ve learnt
◦ Conduction is the thermal energy transfer in solids

◦ Convection is the thermal energy transfer in fluids (liquids, gases)

◦ Then how does the thermal energy from the Sun reach us? *There is no
medium in outer Space
RADIATION
◦ There is only vacuum between the Sun and the Earth

◦ Thermal energy travels as infra-red radiation from the Sun.


◦ Radiation is an electromagnetic wave.
◦ It is like light, except we can’t see it
◦ It can travel through vacuum and through transparent materials.
RADIATION
◦ Process by which energy, in the form of
electromagnetic radiation, is emitted by a
heated surface in all directions
RADIATION
◦ Anything that is hot gives out infra-red radiation.
◦ The hotter it is, the more energy it radiates.

◦ Anything which absorbs this radiation gets warm.

◦ Radiation is the fastest form of energy transfer because infra-red radiation


travels at the speed of light!
Let’s think about this:
◦ If you stand in front of a hot oven, you will get warm. How is the thermal
energy reaching you?
◦ Ans: Through radiation. The infra-red radiation is reaching your body, which is
causing the particles in your body to gain more energy.
Good and bad radiators
◦ Some surfaces are better than others in radiating and absorbing heat.

GOOD RADIATORS AND POOR RADIATORS AND


ABSORBERS ABSORBERS = GOOD
REFLECTORS

Absorbs and gives out heat better Doesn’t absorb or emit heat well.
Reflects the heat away
Gets warm quickly, cools down Doesn’t get warm easily. Stays
quickly cool.
Black, dull surfaces White, shiny surfaces
Let’s order these:
◦ Let’s order these materials from hottest to coldest.

Dull, Dull, Shiny, Shiny,


black white white black

1 3 4 2
Why does a black T-shirt get hotter than
a white T-shirt?
◦ It absorbs more thermal energy than the white T-shirt

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