Can HEAT fall?

Question

Naturaly fall , and how does it opperate in 0 gravity. Do you know how far science has lent study to this matter.

Answer 1

Yes it can in substances that become dense with increase in temperature. Heat is either being convected, radiated or conducted. For radiation and conduction small gravity ( massive neutron stars and black holes excluded) has little or no effect. Convection relies on motion of particles and more they move the more space they need. The more space they need the less dense the substance becomes in that region of space and heat or energy they acquire raises with them as they are being displaced in buoyancy by colder and more dense regions.

Answer 2

The question that you must first ask is:

What is HEAT?

We consider something that has heat not to be cold; but if you were to think purely in terms of heat would it not also be true that a body at -27degrees has more heat than a body at -52 degrees?

When is a body considered to have no heat? -273.16 degrees celsius? 0k? or befor that point.

Heat flows, but does it floow from an area of hotness to an area of coldness or an area of coldness to an area of hotness? Prevost's theory of heat exchange describes a situation well.

I would imagine that in zero gravity density ceases to become an issue.

Heated liquids or gases only rise because as their temperature increases their density decreases and therefore they rise over 'colder' liquids (gases). Hotter liquids which then cool will fall as their density increases - Convection currents illustarte this well.

Therefore I surmise that in a zero gravity situation conventional convection currents would not flow.

HEAT is also an abbreviation for High Explosive Anti-Tank; these projectiles can actually fall as they lose momentum.

Answer 3

Heat can naturally fall. The most common example is water. Once water temperature is below 4C it starts to expand as it gets colder. Hence water at 4C heavier than water at 2C and the colder 2C water rises to the surface and the warmer 4C water falls.

This is the reason ice forms on the surface of ponds and not at their bottom.

In zero gravity the distribution of hot and cold fluids is independent of their density. Hence thermal distribution will be governed by other factors.

By the way, heat is not part of the electro magnetic specturm. Heat is the motion or vibration of molecules.

Answer 4

Heat is a form of electromagnetic radiation. It is the spectrum between infrared and radio waves. Heat radiation causes an increase in the motion of atoms. The average of this kenetic energy is what is measured as temperature. Heat appears to rise because of its effects on liquids. In classical physics gasses are also treated like liquids. Both gasses and liquids become less dence when exposed to heat radiation because the motion of atoms and molecules increases. This causes more empty space between the particles because the collisions are greater. This increase in space then decreases the density, and the mass of fluid exposed to infradred radiation will rise.

Electromagnetic radiation higher in frequency than infrared is visible light, beginning with red and then the rest of the colors seen in a rainbow. Frequencies higher still are ultraviolet radiation, then X rays and finally gamma rays. All this radiation travels through empty space as pure energy.

There is one situation in which heat can be said to fall down. A black hole has a gravitational field strong enough to capture light. Infrared radiation would therefore be attracted to the black hole and essentially fall down upon its surface.

Answer 5

heat only rises in a fliud - the hot gas/liqid is lighter than the rest so it "floats" upwards. In 0 gravity this would not take place the hot fluid would stay where it was.

Answer 6

A hot potato falls faster than a cold fish.

Answer 7

it will flow or transfer but wont fall.But the UV rays contains heat which is felt when falled on certain objects.Gravity has less influence with the heat.