What is the first law of thermodynamics?
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Textbook Solutions for Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach, Standard Edition (Chs 1-36)
Question
The suns intensity at the distance of the earth is 1370 W/m2 . 30% of this energy is reflected by water and clouds; 70% is absorbed. What would be the earths average temperature (in C) if the earth had no atmosphere? The emissivity of the surface is very close to 1. (The actual average temperature of the earth, about 15C, is higher than your calculation because of the greenhouse effect.)
Solution
The first step in solving 19 problem number 108 trying to solve the problem we have to refer to the textbook question: The suns intensity at the distance of the earth is 1370 W/m2 . 30% of this energy is reflected by water and clouds; 70% is absorbed. What would be the earths average temperature (in C) if the earth had no atmosphere? The emissivity of the surface is very close to 1. (The actual average temperature of the earth, about 15C, is higher than your calculation because of the greenhouse effect.)
From the textbook chapter Work, Heat, and the First Law of Thermodynamics you will find a few key concepts needed to solve this.
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