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Chapter 18: Problem 12

Several days after the end of a snowstorm, the roof of one house is still completely covered with snow, and another house's roof has no snow cover. Which house is most likely better insulated?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Explain your reasoning. Answer: The house with snow still on its roof is likely better insulated. This is because less heat has escaped through the roof, and the snow has not melted as rapidly as it did on the other house's roof. Better insulation reduces heat loss, and consequently, there is not enough heat escaping to melt the snow on the roof.

Step by step solution

01

Identify how insulation affects heat transfer

Insulation helps in reducing the rate of heat loss in a house. A better-insulated house will have less heat escaping through its roof.
02

Relate insulation to snow melting

Snow on a roof will melt if there is enough heat escaping from the house through the roof. The heat that escapes the house will warm up the snow, causing it to melt eventually.
03

Compare both houses' insulation effects on snow cover

Since both houses experienced the same snowstorm, different snow covers indicate varying rates of heat transfer through the roofs. The house with snow still on its roof likely has better insulation because less heat has escaped to melt the snow. On the other hand, the house with no snow on its roof may have experienced more heat loss through its roof, causing the snow to melt faster.
04

Determine which house is better insulated

Based on the information provided, we can conclude that the house with snow still on its roof is most likely better insulated. This is because less heat has escaped through the roof, and the snow has not melted as rapidly as it did on the other house's roof.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A cryogenic storage container holds liquid helium, which boils at \(4.2 \mathrm{~K}\). Suppose a student painted the outer shell of the container black, turning it into a pseudoblackbody, and that the shell has an effective area of \(0.50 \mathrm{~m}^{2}\) and is at \(3.0 \cdot 10^{2} \mathrm{~K}\). a) Determine the rate of heat loss due to radiation. b) What is the rate at which the volume of the liquid helium in the container decreases as a result of boiling off? The latent heat of vaporization of liquid helium is \(20.9 \mathrm{~kJ} / \mathrm{kg} .\) The density of liquid helium is \(0.125 \mathrm{~kg} / \mathrm{L}\).

Determine the ratio of the heat flow into a six-pack of aluminum soda cans to the heat flow into a 2.00 - \(\mathrm{L}\) plastic bottle of soda when both are taken out of the same refrigerator, that is, have the same initial temperature difference with the air in the room. Assume that each soda can has a diameter of \(6.00 \mathrm{~cm}\), a height of \(12.0 \mathrm{~cm}\), and a thickness of \(0.100 \mathrm{~cm}\). Use \(205 \mathrm{~W} /(\mathrm{m} \mathrm{K})\) as the thermal conductivity of aluminum. Assume that the 2.00 - \(\mathrm{L}\) bottle of soda has a diameter of \(10.0 \mathrm{~cm}\), a height of \(25.0 \mathrm{~cm}\), and a thickness of \(0.100 \mathrm{~cm} .\) Use \(0.100 \mathrm{~W} /(\mathrm{mK})\) as the thermal conductivity of plastic.

The internal energy of a gas is \(500 .\) J. The gas is compressed adiabatically, and its volume decreases by \(100 . \mathrm{cm}^{3} .\) If the pressure applied on the gas during compression is \(3.00 \mathrm{~atm},\) what is the internal energy of the gas after the adiabatic compression?

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