Problem involving thermal radiation and specific heat

In summary, the satellite will drop from a temperature of 323K to 128.5K over the course of 50 minutes as it moves through the Earth's shadow.
  • #1
Wimpalot
35
1

Homework Statement


A satellite to reflect radar is a 3.5-m-diameter, 2.0-mm-thick spherical copper shell. While orbiting the earth, the satellite absorbs sunlight and is warmed to 50 °C. When it passes into the Earth's shadow, the satellite radiates energy to deep space. You can assume a deep-space temperature of 0 K. If the satellite's emissivity is 0.75, to what temperature, in °C, will it drop during the 50 minutes it takes to move through the Earth's shadow

Homework Equations


P=eσAT4
Q = mCΔT
ρ = m/V

The Attempt at a Solution


I thought I had this question worked out but my solution didn't work. In any case this is what I did:

First some useful things. I found the surface area of the sphere to be 38.48m2 and then I calculated the volume as being:
22.45 - 22.37 = 0.08m3
by taking the volume of the outer sphere with radius 1.75m and subtracting the volume of the inner sphere of radius 1.748m

Then I found the power that is radiated using P=eσAT4 as we can assume Tc=0
P = 0.75 * 5.67*10^-8 * 38.48 * 3234
= 17812.2W

Then I calculated the total energy over the 50 minutes:
17812.2 * 60 * 50 = 5.34*107J

Then I used the density of copper and the aforementioned volume to calculate the mass of copper:
8920 * 0.08 = 713.6kg

And then I used the specific heat formula to calculate the final temperature after losing the energy from above. Negative because the heat is lost.

-5.34*107 = 713.6 * 385 * (TF - 323)
TF = 128.5K = -144.502°C

But that is apparently wrong. I am not sure where I went wrong. Does the radiation formula not work because the temperature is changing perhaps?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
If the temperature changes that much, P will not be constant. Equate the instantaneous value of P to -mCpdT/dt and solve the differential equation.
 
  • #3
mjc123 said:
If the temperature changes that much, P will not be constant. Equate the instantaneous value of P to -mCpdT/dt and solve the differential equation.

I am not really sure how to do that. Do I just say:
eσAT(t)4 = -mCdT/dt?

How do I go about solving this? And is it okay to do this because now both are with respect to time (as in the power is J/s and we have a dt on the other side)?
 
  • #4
Write (eσA/mC) dt = -1/T4 dT and integrate both sides.
 
  • #5
mjc123 said:
Write (eσA/mC) dt = -1/T4 dT and integrate both sides.
I got -7.79°C which is still wrong apparently
 
  • #6
Oh. I got -44°C. How did you do the integration?
 
  • #7
mjc123 said:
Oh. I got -44°C. How did you do the integration?
I got:
5.95*10-12 * t = 1/3T3
And then I substituted t = 3000 and solved for T
 
  • #8
Wimpalot said:
I got:
5.95*10-12 * t = 1/3T3
And then I substituted t = 3000 and solved for T
Think about the integration bounds. The result of the integration step relates the change in each side. On one one side you have a change in time, but the other side is not a change in temperature, nor is it the cube of the final temperature. What is it the change in?

(I get -46C.)
 
  • #9
haruspex said:
Think about the integration bounds. The result of the integration step relates the change in each side. On one one side you have a change in time, but the other side is not a change in temperature, nor is it the cube of the final temperature. What is it the change in?

(I get -46C.)

I am not entirely sure. Is it the total temperature difference? That doesn't sound right...?
 
  • #10
It's a definite integral. The solution (assuming your arithmetic is right) is
[5.95*10-12 * t]03000 = [1/(3T3)]323Tf
 
  • Like
Likes Wimpalot
  • #11
mjc123 said:
It's a definite integral. The solution (assuming your arithmetic is right) is
[5.95*10-12 * t]03000 = [1/(3T3)]323Tf

Thank you that worked perfectly and I actually understand why too.
 
  • #12
In the immortal words of Basil Fawlty, "A satisfied customer! We should have him stuffed!"
 
  • Like
Likes Wimpalot

1. What is thermal radiation and how does it affect temperature?

Thermal radiation is the transfer of heat energy through electromagnetic waves. It affects temperature by transferring heat energy from hotter objects to cooler objects, causing a change in their temperatures.

2. What is specific heat and how does it relate to thermal radiation?

Specific heat is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius. It relates to thermal radiation because objects with a higher specific heat require more energy to increase their temperature, while objects with a lower specific heat require less energy.

3. How does thermal radiation play a role in climate change?

Thermal radiation plays a major role in climate change as it is responsible for the transfer of heat energy from the sun to the Earth's surface. As the concentration of greenhouse gases increases in the Earth's atmosphere, the amount of thermal radiation trapped and absorbed by these gases also increases, leading to an overall rise in global temperatures.

4. What are some real-life examples of problems involving thermal radiation and specific heat?

Some real-life examples of problems involving thermal radiation and specific heat include designing energy-efficient homes, understanding the effects of global warming on the Earth's climate, and developing materials for spacecraft that can withstand extreme temperatures in space.

5. How can we manipulate thermal radiation and specific heat to our advantage?

We can manipulate thermal radiation and specific heat to our advantage by using materials with high or low specific heat for different purposes. For example, materials with high specific heat can be used to store and release heat energy, while materials with low specific heat can be used to insulate against thermal radiation. Additionally, we can also control the amount of thermal radiation emitted by objects by altering their surface properties, such as color and texture.

Similar threads

  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
15
Views
834
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
967
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
748
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
4K
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Mechanical Engineering
Replies
9
Views
1K
Back
Top