A student measures infrared radiation from two identical heater panels with different surface finishes. The detector is kept at the same distance from each panel. The readings are shown in the table.
| Surface finish | Panel temperature / °C | Detector reading / arbitrary units |
|---|---|---|
| Matt black | 60 | 1.7 |
| Polished white | 60 | 1.2 |
| Matt black | 80 | 2.5 |
| Polished white | 80 | 1.8 |
Explain which surface finish emits infrared radiation with the greater intensity, and how the student should use the measurements to make a fair comparison.
96 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 5.3 Black body radiation, covering 5.3.1 Emission of radiation and temperature, 5.3.2 Radiation balance and constant temperature, and 5.3.3 The temperature of the Earth. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.