- #1
jaumzaum
- 434
- 33
Hello! I am having trouble to understand why the emissivity of polished metals is much lower than if they are not polished.
Consider, for example, non-polished aluminium at 300K, which is said to have an emissivity of 0.77. We put it floating in vacuum. There is an energy source near it, and in this configuration it absorbs 77W of energy (and emits 77W as it is in thermal equilibrium). Now the metal is polished. It's emissivity drops to 0.05. For it to be in thermal equilibrium the emissivity must be equal to the absorvivity, so that the new emited/absorbed energy is 5W.
If we apply Stefan-Boltzmann law:
$$\sigma T'^4 = \frac{0.05} {0.77} \sigma 300^4$$
$$T'=152K$$
That way the metal needs to drop its temeprature to -121 celcius degrees! Is this true?
I was wondering why don't we see low temperature polished metals in real world situations, is this because the metals are in contact with other surfaces such that conduction plays more? Even with conduction, I would suppose the temperature of polished metals wpuld still be some degrees lower than that of the ambient. Is it true? How much?
EDIT: Even considering conduction, if we consider a body with 1m length and surface area of 1m^2 in 300K, it would radiate 460W of energy. Consider this body is on a table that made of wood at 300K, with thermal conductivity of 0.2 W/mK, This would give a very huge temperature drop.
Consider, for example, non-polished aluminium at 300K, which is said to have an emissivity of 0.77. We put it floating in vacuum. There is an energy source near it, and in this configuration it absorbs 77W of energy (and emits 77W as it is in thermal equilibrium). Now the metal is polished. It's emissivity drops to 0.05. For it to be in thermal equilibrium the emissivity must be equal to the absorvivity, so that the new emited/absorbed energy is 5W.
If we apply Stefan-Boltzmann law:
$$\sigma T'^4 = \frac{0.05} {0.77} \sigma 300^4$$
$$T'=152K$$
That way the metal needs to drop its temeprature to -121 celcius degrees! Is this true?
I was wondering why don't we see low temperature polished metals in real world situations, is this because the metals are in contact with other surfaces such that conduction plays more? Even with conduction, I would suppose the temperature of polished metals wpuld still be some degrees lower than that of the ambient. Is it true? How much?
EDIT: Even considering conduction, if we consider a body with 1m length and surface area of 1m^2 in 300K, it would radiate 460W of energy. Consider this body is on a table that made of wood at 300K, with thermal conductivity of 0.2 W/mK, This would give a very huge temperature drop.