Question 1

Which of the following best explains why metal feels colder than wood at the same temperature when you touch it with your bare feet?

Accepted Answer

Metal is a better conductor of heat, so it transfers heat away from your feet more quickly.

Question 2

A house has patches of snow missing from its roof after a snowfall. What does this indicate about the insulation in those areas?

Accepted Answer

Heat is leaking through poorly insulated areas, melting the snow.

Question 3

Which of the following is the primary reason why warm air rises?

Accepted Answer

Warm air expands, becomes less dense, and is buoyed upward.

Question 4

Why are mountaintops cold and snow-covered while valleys below are relatively warm and green, even though warm air rises?

Accepted Answer

Warm air cools as it rises and the atmosphere acts as an insulating blanket over valleys.

Question 5

Which method of heat transfer is responsible for the shimmering effect seen above a hot stove or asphalt on a hot day?

Accepted Answer

Convection

Question 6

The surface of Earth loses energy to outer space primarily by which process?

Accepted Answer

Radiation

Question 7

Which of the following statements about emission and absorption of radiant energy is correct?

Accepted Answer

Good absorbers are also good emitters.

Question 8

A hot pizza placed in the snow is a net:

Accepted Answer

Emitter

Question 9

Which melts faster in sunshine—dirty snow or clean snow? Why?

Accepted Answer

Dirty snow, because it absorbs more sunlight.

Question 10

According to Newton’s Law of Cooling, the rate of cooling of an object is proportional to:

Accepted Answer

The temperature difference between the object and its surroundings: $$	ext{rate of cooling} \propto \Delta T$$

Question 11

A can of beverage will cool faster in the coldest part of a refrigerator. This is best explained by:

Accepted Answer

A larger temperature difference ($$\Delta T) $$increases the rate of cooling.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the greenhouse effect as it relates to global warming?

Accepted Answer

Earth emits long-wavelength radiation that is absorbed and re-emitted by atmospheric gases, warming the planet.

Question 13

Which type of electromagnetic radiation do greenhouse gases absorb most efficiently?

Accepted Answer

Infrared radiation

Question 14

If a good absorber of radiant energy were a poor emitter, what would happen to its temperature compared to its surroundings?

Accepted Answer

It would become higher than its surroundings.

Question 15

Which of the following statements is true regarding the color of objects and their absorption of visible light?

Accepted Answer

A black object readily absorbs visible light.

Question 16

Which of the following is a real-world example of convection?

Accepted Answer

Sea breeze caused by differential heating of land and water.

Question 17

Which of the following best describes why substances that trap air, such as wool or feathers, are good insulators?

Accepted Answer

Air is a poor conductor of heat, so trapped air slows energy transfer.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a method of heat transfer discussed in the chapter?

Accepted Answer

Evaporation

Question 19

Which equation correctly relates the frequency of radiation to the absolute temperature of the source?

Accepted Answer

$$f \sim T$$

Heat Transfer: Conduction, Convection, Radiation, and Related Phenomena

Study Guide - Practice Questions