Question

Which statement best describes heating by radiation?


Air at the equator rises and sinks at the poles.


Air molecules touch the warm ground, heating them up.


Warm air rises and takes heat with it; eventually it cools and sinks.


Sunlight travels through space without the aid of fluids or solids.

Answer 1

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Radiation is one of the mechanisms of heating. It consists in the emission of energy from a hot body that is carried by electromagnetic waves. This energy can be transferred through the vacuum at the speed of light.

Answer 2

The statement that best describes heating by radiation is that 'Sunlight travels through space without the aid of fluids or solids'.

• Radiation is the process of heat dispersion via electromagnetic waves or photon particles
• This process of transfer of heat does not require a medium to travel and hence can move through the vacuum of space. This enables the rays of the sun to reach Earth and exhibit their warming effect
• The other statements mentioned describe conduction and convection. These methods of heat transfer require contact with a medium such as air or solid matter
• Radiation heat is utilized by solar panels for the generation of usable electric energy

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