Exercise on The Earth’s Temperature for AQA GCSE Physics

This exercise relates to the ‘Perfect black bodies and radiation’ section of the specification – page 67. The answers are below.

The information on this link https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zs63k2p/revision/3 and answer the following questions. 

How does the temperature of a body change when the rate of radiation absorbed is greater than the rate of radiation emitted?

How does the temperature of a body change when the rate of radiation absorbed is equal to the rate of radiation emitted?

How does the temperature of a body change when the rate of radiation absorbed is less than the rate of radiation emitted?

What factors affect the temperature of the Earth?

How does the Earth’s temperature change when visible light and high-frequency infrared radiation are absorbed by the Earth’s surface and atmosphere?

How does the greenhouse effect stabilize the surface temperature of Earth?

How does human activity affect the greenhouse effect and global temperatures?

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

How does the enhanced greenhouse effect contribute to climate change?

Answers

When the rate of radiation absorbed is greater than the rate of radiation emitted, the temperature of the body increases.

When the rate of radiation absorbed is equal to the rate of radiation emitted, the temperature of the body remains constant.

When the rate of radiation absorbed is less than the rate of radiation emitted, the temperature of the body decreases.

The temperature of the Earth is affected by factors such as incoming solar radiation, atmospheric composition, ocean currents, and greenhouse gases.

When visible light and high-frequency infrared radiation are absorbed by the Earth’s surface and atmosphere, the Earth’s temperature increases.

The greenhouse effect stabilises the surface temperature of Earth by trapping some of the heat that would otherwise escape into space. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane, absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, which keeps the planet warm.

Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and agriculture, contribute to an increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, leading to an enhanced greenhouse effect and rising global temperatures.

The enhanced greenhouse effect refers to the increase in the Earth’s atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations caused by human activities, which results in increased trapping of heat and a warming of the planet.

The enhanced greenhouse effect contributes to climate change by causing global temperatures to rise, leading to changes in the Earth’s climate patterns, such as more frequent heat waves, melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, and altered precipitation patterns.