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Thermometer

Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter

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Rocket

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

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Water Wave

Theme C - Wave Behaviour 

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Magnifying Glass Tilted Right

Theme D - Fields

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Microscope

Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics

The Earth gets sunlight. Some of it bounces back, but a lot gets absorbed. This causes warming. If the Earth behaved like a simple &quot;black body&quot;, it would be much colder than it currently is. Why&#39;s it not that cold? Let&#39;s dive in!

<ul>
	<li>Average intensity at the Earth&#39;s surface = 238W/m2 (That&#39;s like 238 watt light bulbs on each square meter!)</li>
	<li>Using Stefan&ndash;Boltzmann law (no, Stefan and Boltzmann weren&#39;t rockstars, though their law rocks!)
	<ul>
		<li>Formula: I&nbsp;ntensity = e&sigma;T4</li>
		<li>Plugging in numbers: 238=0.9&times;5.67&times;10&minus;8&times;T4</li>
		<li>Temperature (T) is found to be 261K (or -12&deg;C). Brrr! ❄️</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>-12&deg;C is almost the average temperature of the Moon&#39;s surface.</li>
	<li>BUT the Moon reflects more sunlight due to its higher albedo. Imagine the Moon wearing lighter clothing on a sunny day!</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Our Earth should technically be -12&deg;C, but it&#39;s around 27K (or 27&deg;C) hotter.</li>
	<li>Why? Because our atmosphere isn&#39;t a simple clear window; it&#39;s more like colorful stained glass!</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Figure 12(a) shows the intensity for a black body at 255K.</li>
	<li>Figure 12(b) measures how our atmosphere affects these intensities, called &quot;transmittance&quot;.
	<ul>
		<li>100% transmittance = full transmission (like an open window)</li>
		<li>0% transmittance = no transmission (like a solid wall)</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

Imagine you&#39;re at a concert (Earth&#39;s surface). The music (energy) is so loud (238W/m2) and is supposed to travel out to everyone (space). But some hefty bouncers (greenhouse gases) block certain frequencies (infrared &amp; ultraviolet) from leaving the venue.

<ul>
	<li>A realistic model considers atmosphere absorption in the infrared and ultraviolet areas.
	<ul>
		<li>It&#39;s like certain bouncers only blocking people wearing red (infrared) and violet (ultraviolet) shirts!</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>These blocked &#39;shirts&#39; bounce back into the concert, making it hotter (raising Earth&#39;s temperature).</li>
	<li>The concert gets so lit (288K or 15&deg;C) that even with bouncers, the energy remains the same!</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>It&#39;s not as simple as &quot;all or none&quot; for absorption.</li>
	<li>Figure 14 showcases the complex pattern and the molecules responsible.</li>
</ul>

Think of it as a bouncer sometimes letting a person with a red shirt slip by if they have a cool hat!

&nbsp;

Real-World Example: 🚗 The Earth&rsquo;s greenhouse effect is like a car parked in the sun. Light gets in, heats the car, but the heat (infrared) struggles to get out due to the windows. Result? A super-hot car!

&nbsp;

Closing Thought: 🤓 Understanding the Earth&#39;s climate balance is key to addressing global issues like climate change. So, go forth, and use this knowledge for good! 💪

Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter

Earth's Climate Balance: Unveiling The Secrets Of Surface Temperature

Table of content

The BIG picture

Basic maths & facts 🧮

Comparison time 🌍 🌙

Earth vs. our model 🤔

Unlock the Full Content!

Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter

Earth's Climate Balance: Unveiling The Secrets Of Surface Temperature

Table of content

The BIG picture

Basic maths & facts 🧮

Comparison time 🌍 🌙

Earth vs. our model 🤔

Unlock the Full Content!