Thermal radiation and energy balance

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Question 3
Medium

Figure 1 shows two boiling tubes, a radiant source of heat, and other laboratory equipment.

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'.

The boiling tubes absorb thermal radiation from the heater.

One boiling tube is wrapped in matt black paper and the other boiling tube is wrapped in shiny silver foil.

Both tubes contain the same volume of water at the same initial temperature.

Describe how a student could use the apparatus in Figure 1 to determine which surface is the better absorber of thermal radiation.

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Thermal radiation and energy balance Questions

  1. GCSE
  2. /Physics
  3. /Thermal radiation and energy balance