1
$\begingroup$

How do I calaculate the amount of heat energy radiated from the sun in one minute?? Well, i tried some stefan method, but the answer seems far off from the correct one....well, i would thus strongly want to have some help in this regard..

$\endgroup$
7
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Can you please expand on your question: How exactly have you used the "stefan method" (I suppose you refer to the Stefan-Boltzmann law?)? $\endgroup$
    – Lagerbaer
    Commented Mar 20, 2013 at 0:38
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ And what makes you think you have the wrong answer? Do you have a good feel for what the scale of the answer should be? $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 20, 2013 at 0:54
  • $\begingroup$ @lagerbaer.. i m not sure whether i had chosen the right method..but i only thought that probably that one would do... $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 20, 2013 at 1:05
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ You say you "tried some stefan method" - what specifically did you try? Can you provide us with some of your work? $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 20, 2013 at 1:25
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ You should put your work, including numbers, in the question for homework problems, so that people know what the issue is. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 20, 2013 at 1:47

1 Answer 1

2
$\begingroup$

You should be able to show us how you have tried to answer the question, but you sound genuinely desparate. Is this the way you tried to answer your question? Check your method with this one.

You have the following data: (see if you can find more accurate ones)

Surface temperature of the sun, $T = 5,800$K

Radius of the sun, $R=6.995\times 10^8$m

Stefan's constant,$\sigma = 5.670\times 10^{-8}$Wm$^{-2}$K$^{-4}$

The equation for the thermal energy per second (that is Power) radiated by the sun is

$P= 4\pi R^2\sigma T^4$.

So if you put the data in you should find

$P=3.95\times 10^{26}$W

To find the amount of energy emitted in one minute you must multiply by 60, so you get

$E=2.37\times10^{28}$J.

Do the calculations yourself using the calculator carefully.

$\endgroup$
0

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.