Heat Transfer in Elephant Ears: Convection and Radiation

[wakejosh]

Homework Statement

elephants have large ears because they need additional skin to balance the large amount of mass (to balance the heat eleminated from their skin with the heat generated by their body mass) by which methods of heat transfer do the ears eliminate excess body heat?

The Attempt at a Solution

radiation would be an obvious choice, but I am wondering if it would be more accurate to say Convection and Radiation . any thoughts?

 

[berkeman]

I'm thinking of different answers. Compare the *amount* of heat transferred by each of the 3 traditional energy transfer mechanisms...

 

[Kurdt]

Well the ears give the elephants skin a large surface area. Which form of heat exchange would that benefit most?

 

[wakejosh]

so, is convection only applicable in fluids? I don't see why it wouldn't be both.

 

[wakejosh]

alright reading them over I would probably say it is only by Radiation. is this correct?

 

[berkeman]

Think about a radiator in a car as an anology. Why is it actually misnamed? How does the heat get from the engine to the metal of the radiator? What flows through the radiator, and why?