During a cold autumn night, a vineyard cools as the plants and the soil emit thermal radiation. To prevent frost damage, the vineyard manager compares two zones:
- Zone A (Uncovered): The vines are left completely open to the clear night sky.
- Zone B (With Frost Fleece): A horizontal sheet of polyester 'frost fleece' is suspended shortly above the vine canopy.
Polyester fleece is highly opaque to long-wave infrared radiation, absorbing over 90%90\%90% of the infrared radiation incident upon it.
Explain why the vines and the surrounding air in Zone A cool down much faster and reach a lower temperature than those in Zone B.
Black body radiation (physics only) Questions
Practise AQA GCSE Physics Black body radiation (physics only) with exam-style questions for Foundation and Higher tier. 9 questions covering Emission and absorption of infrared radiation and Perfect black bodies and radiation, matched to the AQA GCSE Physics (8463) specification and written in Paper 1 and Paper 2 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.