- #1
EzequielSeattle
- 25
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Hey all, I think that I'm doing this problem correctly but I'm getting an answer that's a couple thousand Kelvins off. Sorry if I should have posted this in the "advanced" section.
1. Homework Statement
Part of a flat region of Pluto has the Sun directly overhead. Its surface temperature is 58 K. You have determined Pluto is 33 AU away from the sun, and the region of interest has an albedo of 0.5. Use all of this information to determine the Sun's luminosity temperature. Assume the Sun and Pluto are perfect black bodies.
P/A of a black body is equal to σT4, where σ = 5.67x10-8 W*m-2*K-4.
Pluto's temperature is 58 K. By the equation above, its power/area radiated outward is σ*584, which is 0.642 W*m-2. Because its albedo is 0.5, it receives double this power from the sun, so the power per area from the sun hitting the surface is 1.283 W*m-2.
Because this power will fall off as the radius squared from the sun, I multiplied this by the square of 33 AU, which is 2.437x1025 square meters. I came away with a total luminosity of 3.13 W. Then, using the same equation above, I get that the effective surface temperature of the Sun is 3193 K, which is almost 3000 K away from the true value. Am I doing something wrong, or is this because of the imprecise variables that I was given in the problem?
Thanks in advance.
1. Homework Statement
Part of a flat region of Pluto has the Sun directly overhead. Its surface temperature is 58 K. You have determined Pluto is 33 AU away from the sun, and the region of interest has an albedo of 0.5. Use all of this information to determine the Sun's luminosity temperature. Assume the Sun and Pluto are perfect black bodies.
Homework Equations
P/A of a black body is equal to σT4, where σ = 5.67x10-8 W*m-2*K-4.
The Attempt at a Solution
Pluto's temperature is 58 K. By the equation above, its power/area radiated outward is σ*584, which is 0.642 W*m-2. Because its albedo is 0.5, it receives double this power from the sun, so the power per area from the sun hitting the surface is 1.283 W*m-2.
Because this power will fall off as the radius squared from the sun, I multiplied this by the square of 33 AU, which is 2.437x1025 square meters. I came away with a total luminosity of 3.13 W. Then, using the same equation above, I get that the effective surface temperature of the Sun is 3193 K, which is almost 3000 K away from the true value. Am I doing something wrong, or is this because of the imprecise variables that I was given in the problem?
Thanks in advance.