alMarks":3,"sourceTitle":null,"calculatorUse":null,"parts":[{"id":"f7b67b1d-c3e5-4f89-b7e3-3baa7ce7cd08","label":null,"content":"Explain why the temperature of Ceres does not continue to rise indefinitely, even though it is constantly absorbing radiation from the Sun.","markscheme":"- Ceres also emits / radiates energy (as infrared / thermal radiation) into space B1\n- The rate of radiation emitted by Ceres increases as its temperature increases B1\n- A constant temperature (thermal equilibrium) is reached when the rate of radiation absorbed from the Sun equals the rate of radiation emitted B1","marks":3,"order":0,"markingRubric":null,"explanation":{"methods":[{"id":"thermal_equilibrium","label":"Thermal equilibrium","steps":[{"type":"text","order":0,"title":"Identify outgoing energy","content":"Ceres does not only absorb energy from the Sun: it also emits energy into space as infrared (thermal) radiation.\n\nThis earns the first **B1** mark.","highlights":[{"text":"constantly absorbing radiation from the Sun","location":"specification"}]},{"type":"text","order":1,"title":"Increase the emission","content":"As Ceres gets hotter, it emits thermal radiation at a greater rate. So the hotter it becomes, the more energy it transfers away into space.\n\nStating this temperature-dependent increase earns the second **B1** mark.","highlights":[{"text":"does not continue to rise indefinitely","location":"specification"}]},{"type":"text","order":2,"title":"Reach thermal equilibrium","content":"Eventually, the **rate** at which Ceres absorbs radiation from the Sun equals the rate at which it emits thermal radiation. There is then no overall energy gain, so its temperature stays constant. This is called **thermal equilibrium**.\n\nThis equality of rates earns the final **B1** mark.","highlights":[{"text":"does not continue to rise indefinitely","location":"specification"}]}]}],"generatedAt":"2026-07-22T09:09:12.069Z","modelVersion":"gpt-5.6-terra+diagrams-1","explanationVersion":"v3"},"options":[]}],"options":[],"explanation":null,"firstAttemptFullMarks":null},{"id":"1cbe0ddf-44bf-480e-b8d2-b7d03d670fa6","revisionId":"b599851a-b32f-4131-8939-f9f1bece9c2d","questionNumber":null,"questionType":"LA","specification":"Figure 1 shows two boiling tubes, a radiant source of heat, and other laboratory equipment.\n\n![Apparatus for investigating absorption of thermal radiation by different surfaces. A radiant heater is positioned exactly halfway between two boiling tubes. The boiling tube on the left is wrapped in matt black paper, and the boiling tube on the right is wrapped in shiny silver foil. Each boiling tube contains a thermometer immersed in water. A stopwatch is shown next to the apparatus. Labels show: 'Radiant heater', 'Matt black paper', 'Shiny silver foil', 'Thermometers', 'Water', 'Stopwatch' and 'Equal distance d on both sides'.](https://assets.mathsgenie.co.uk/aqa-qb/3a4dce02-ea76-4e6d-b91a-d22683a0cc8a.png)\n\nThe boiling tubes absorb thermal radiation from the heater.\n\nOne boiling tube is wrapped in matt black paper and the other boiling tube is wrapped in shiny silver foil.\n\nBoth tubes contain the same volume of water at the same initial temperature.","difficulty":3,"difficultyBand":"medium","totalMarks":4,"sourceTitle":null,"calculatorUse":null,"parts":[{"id":"12e29be8-0422-42e8-a709-8ef436c03b87","label":null,"content":"Describe how a student could use the apparatus in Figure 1 to determine which surface is the better absorber of thermal radiation.","markscheme":"- States that the radiant heater must be positioned at an equal distance $d$ from each boiling tube (or exactly halfway between them) M1\n- States the need to measure and record the initial temperature of the water in both boiling tubes M1\n- States the need to start the stopwatch when the heater is switched on and measure the temperature of the water in both tubes after a fixed time interval (or at regular intervals) M1\n- Explains that the tube with the higher temperatur

Thermal radiation and energy balance

Question 2

Thermal radiation and energy balance Questions

Thermal radiation and energy balance

Question 2

Thermal radiation and energy balance Questions