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Chapter 5: Problem 14

If a planet is in thermal equilibrium, a. no energy is leaving the planet. b. no energy is arriving on the planet. c. the amount of energy leaving equals the amount of energy arriving. d. the temperature is very low.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Option C is correct. The amount of energy leaving equals the amount of energy arriving.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Thermal Equilibrium

Thermal equilibrium means a system's temperature remains constant because the rate of energy intake is equal to the rate of energy loss.
02

Analyze Option A

Option A states that no energy is leaving the planet. If no energy is leaving, the planet would keep absorbing energy causing a temperature rise, so it’s incorrect.
03

Analyze Option B

Option B states that no energy is arriving on the planet. If no energy is arriving, the planet would continuously lose energy and become colder, so it’s incorrect.
04

Analyze Option C

Option C states that the amount of energy leaving equals the amount of energy arriving. This describes thermal equilibrium correctly.
05

Analyze Option D

Option D states the temperature is very low. Thermal equilibrium can occur at any temperature where energy intake equals energy loss, so it’s incorrect.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

energy balance
Energy balance is a fundamental concept defining the equilibrium state of any system, including planets. It means that the energy entering a system matches the energy leaving it.
For a planet in thermal equilibrium, this means:
  • Energy from the sun is absorbed at the same rate that the planet radiates energy back into space.
  • When the incoming and outgoing energy flows are balanced, the planet's temperature remains stable.
Understanding this balance is key to grasping why certain average temperatures on planets remain steady over long periods. Interruptions in this balance can cause climate changes over time.
temperature stabilization
Temperature stabilization occurs when the energy entering a planet is equal to the energy being radiated away. This means that despite variations in daily energy intake due to, say, sunlight changes:
  • A state of equilibrium ensures that the planet maintains a constant average temperature.
  • If more energy is absorbed than emitted, the temperature will rise until equilibrium is restored.
  • Conversely, if less energy is absorbed than emitted, the temperature will drop until the balance is reached again.
Thus, a stable temperature doesn't imply a constant temperature every moment of every day but rather a stable long-term average. Factors like atmospheric composition and surface reflectivity (albedo) play major roles in this regulation.
planetary science
Planetary science explores the processes shaping planets, including thermal equilibrium and energy balance. Understanding thermal equilibrium allows scientists to predict:
  • Planetary climates and weather patterns.
  • How planets respond to changes in solar radiation.
  • The potential habitability of exoplanets in other solar systems.
Additionally, the concept is crucial in studying planetary atmospheres. The greenhouse effect, for example, explains how gases trap heat, affecting energy balance and temperature stabilization. Hence, insights from planetary science guide our understanding of Earth's climate and help us address issues like global warming through detailed examinations of thermal equilibrium principles.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

On a dark night you notice that a distant lightbulb happens to have the same brightness as a firefly that is 5 meters away from you. If the lightbulb is a million times more luminous than the firefly, how far away is the lightbulb?

Suppose an atom has three energy levels, specified in arbitrary units as \(10,7,\) and \(5 .\) In these units, which of the following energies might an emitted photon have? (Select all that apply.) a. 3 b. 2 c. 5 d. 4

Which of the following factors does not directly influence the temperature of a planet? a. the luminosity of the Sun b. the distance from the planet to the Sun c. the albedo of the planet d. the size of the planet

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When an electron moves from a higher energy level in an atom to a lower energy level, a. a continuous spectrum is emitted. b. a photon is emitted. c. a photon is absorbed. d. a redshifted spectrum is emitted.
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