A metal housing protects a temperature sensor near an infrared heater. The housing needs to absorb as little infrared radiation as possible.
A technician tests three otherwise identical housings. Each housing starts at 20 ∘C20\ ^{\circ}\text{C}20 ∘C and is placed in the same position near the heater for 6 minutes.
| Coating on housing | Temperature increase in ∘C^{\circ}\text{C}∘C |
|---|---|
| cream gloss paint | 5 |
| charcoal matt paint | 11 |
| polished aluminium | 2 |
State which coating should be used on the housing.
Give a reason for your answer using the results.
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.