Radiation and temperature Flashcards
(13 cards)
What are all objects constantly doing?
Absorbing and emitting electromagnetic radiation with its surroundings.
What happens when something absorbs radiation?
It gets warmer, since radiation is pure energy.
What happens when something emits radiation?
It will cool down.
What affects the temperature of an object?
The balance between absorbing and emitting radiation.
What will happen to an object that is hotter than its surroundings?
More radiation will be emitted to the surroundings than absorbed, so overall, it will lose energy and cool down.
What will happen to an object that is cooler than its surroundings?
Less radiation will be emitted than absorbed, so overall, it will gain energy and warm up.
What happens to an object that emits and absorbs the same amount of energy?
It will stay the same temperature.
What is meant by the term ‘intensity’?
The power of the radiation per unit of area. How much energy the radiation transfers to a given area in a certain amount of time.
What happens to the intensity as the temperature increases?
If the temperature increases, the intensity of every emitted wavelength also increases, but the intensity of the shorter wavelengths increase more than the longer wavelengths.
What range is the emitted radiation of objects at room temperature?
It is in the infrared range rather than visible light, that’s why we cannot see the radiation.
What can the Earth’s atmosphere also do?
Reflect, absorb and emit radiation.
What happens to the Earth’s atmosphere during the day?
It is absorbing more energy from the sun than is being emitted, therefore, increasing the temperature.
What happens to the Earth’s atmosphere during the night?
It is absorbing less energy than emitted, so the temperature decreases.
