Question

Four important parts of a thermal OLR

Answer 1

1. Blackbody radiation: All objects with a temperature above absolute zero emit thermal radiation in the form of electromagnetic waves. This radiation is characteristic of the object's temperature and is described by Planck's law.

2. Emissivity: The emissivity of an object is a measure of its efficiency in emitting thermal radiation. It is a dimensionless quantity ranging from 0 to 1, with a value of 1 representing a perfect blackbody radiator. Objects with lower emissivity values emit less radiation compared to blackbodies.

3. Temperature: The temperature of an object plays a crucial role in determining the amount of thermal radiation it emits. According to the Stefan-Boltzmann law, the total power radiated by an object is proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature.

4. Surface area: The surface area of an object affects its rate of radiation emission. Larger surface areas can emit and absorb more radiation compared to smaller surfaces. Increasing the surface area can lead to enhanced heat transfer through mechanisms such as convection and radiation.