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Explain how each is involved in the heating of the earths atomosphere

2007-06-03 10:41:20 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics Physics

3 answers

Conduction: Heat traveling along solid matter from higher to lower temperatures.

Convection: Transporting heat by taking fluids (gas or liquid)at one temperature to another location; where mixing can occur.

Radiation: Transporting electromagnetic energy from one point to another. It can travel through empty space or space with matter that doesn't block the radiation.

Role in the Earth's atmosphere:
Conduction: transmission of heat between the solid ground and the bottom of the atmosphere
Convection: transmission of heat through air motions: upwards/downwards, winds (horizontal)
Radiation: vertical transmission through the atmosphere, as in cooling the Earth. (This is what is frustrated by the global warming problem, leading to insufficient cooling.)

By the way, something is missing: condensation. When water vapor freezes into ice (it's called "sublimation"), the ice gives off heat. So this is kind of an end-point of convection, because you had to move the fluid from one point to another; however, an extra step is needed to release the heat.

2007-06-03 10:56:28 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 0 0

Conduction...where molecules in direct contact with each other pass heat energy from one to another (EX: sun's rays heat the surface of a rock and the heat energy travels by conduction to the interior of said rock.)

Convection...where heated molecules move from place to place carrying the heat with them (EX: Air molecules warmed by the sun's rays move from place to place as wind.)

Radiation...where energy travels as photons and strikes some molecules to set them vibrating and raise their temperatures (EX: the sun's rays are radiation; so when they strike that rock, the rock's molecules are all a quiver.)

I think you can see how each type can affect the Earth's temperature. Conduction leads to the Earth itself being warmed up during the day; and that heat is released at night when the sun is down. So that serves to keep the night's warmer than they'd be otherwise.

Convection is the stuff weather patterns are made of. We call the fronts warm and cold fronts for a reason. That reason is that the air is relatively warm and cold as the fronts pass by with their winds carrying the heat (or lack thereunto).

Radiation is the mother of all heat on Earth. It comes from the sun and heats up the air and the ground. Where we see that as reradiated heat from the Earth and convection heating via the winds.

(NB: There is a bit of heat from the Earth's interior, but compared to the Sun's radiation heat, it is very small.)

2007-06-03 11:11:01 · answer #2 · answered by oldprof 7 · 0 0

All of those words be conscious to the flow of warmth and ability between 2 gadgets. FYI - the flow of warmth is often from warm to chilly on no account chilly to warm. Conduction is whilst 2 gadgets are touching one yet another. occasion: getting into your vehicle interior the wintry climate and touching the chilly guidance wheel, the warmth transfers out of your palms to the wheel. Convection is whilst 2 gadgets are close to a minimum of one yet another. occasion: Being close to a fire, you dont could the touch it to sense warmth from it. Radiation is whilst an merchandise such because of the fact the solar emits warmth by mild and/or radio waves. least perplexing occasion is the solar, yet another may well be the gas rods in a nuclear reactor heating the encompassing water

2016-12-30 16:24:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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