The blood plays an important role in removing heat from the body by bringing this energy directly to the surface where it can radiate away. Nevertheless, this heat must still travel through the skin before it can radiate away. Assume that the blood is brought to the bottom layer of skin at °C and that the outer surface of the skin is at °C. Skin varies in thickness from mm to a few millimeters on the palms and soles, so assume an average thickness of mm. A -lb, -ft-tall person has a surface area of about m2 and loses heat at a net rate of W while resting. On the basis of our assumptions, what is the thermal conductivity of this person's skin?
Ch 17: Temperature and Heat
Young & Freedman Calc14th EditionUniversity PhysicsISBN: 9780321973610Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 17, Problem 68
The emissivity of tungsten is . A tungsten sphere with radius cm is suspended within a large evacuated enclosure whose walls are at K. What power input is required to maintain the sphere at K if heat conduction along the supports is ignored?
Verified step by step guidance1
Start by understanding the concept of thermal radiation. The power radiated by an object can be calculated using the Stefan-Boltzmann law, which states that the power radiated per unit area is proportional to the fourth power of the temperature.
The formula for the power radiated by a sphere is given by: \( P = \varepsilon \sigma A (T^4 - T_0^4) \), where \( \varepsilon \) is the emissivity, \( \sigma \) is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant \( 5.67 \times 10^{-8} \text{ W/m}^2\text{K}^4 \), \( A \) is the surface area of the sphere, \( T \) is the temperature of the sphere, and \( T_0 \) is the temperature of the surroundings.
Calculate the surface area \( A \) of the sphere using the formula for the surface area of a sphere: \( A = 4 \pi r^2 \), where \( r \) is the radius of the sphere. Convert the radius from centimeters to meters before calculating.
Substitute the values into the Stefan-Boltzmann equation: \( P = 0.350 \times 5.67 \times 10^{-8} \times A \times ((3000)^4 - (290)^4) \).
Perform the calculations step by step, ensuring units are consistent, to find the power input required to maintain the sphere at 3000 K.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Emissivity
Emissivity is a measure of an object's ability to emit thermal radiation compared to a perfect black body. It ranges from 0 to 1, where 1 represents a perfect emitter. In this problem, tungsten has an emissivity of 0.350, indicating it emits 35% of the radiation a black body would at the same temperature.
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Radiation
Stefan-Boltzmann Law
The Stefan-Boltzmann Law states that the power radiated by a black body is proportional to the fourth power of its temperature, given by P = εσAT^4, where ε is emissivity, σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, A is the surface area, and T is the temperature. This law is crucial for calculating the power needed to maintain the sphere's temperature.
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Gauss' Law
Surface Area of a Sphere
The surface area of a sphere is calculated using the formula A = 4πr^2, where r is the radius. For the tungsten sphere with a radius of 1.50 cm, this formula helps determine the area over which thermal radiation is emitted, essential for applying the Stefan-Boltzmann Law to find the required power input.
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Equipotential Surfaces
Related Practice
Textbook Question
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Textbook Question
An electric kitchen range has a total wall area of m2 and is insulated with a layer of fiberglass cm thick. The inside surface of the fiberglass has a temperature of °C, and its outside surface is at °C. The fiberglass has a thermal conductivity of . What is the heat current through the insulation, assuming it may be treated as a flat slab with an area of m2 ?
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Textbook Question
A spherical pot contains L of hot coffee (essentially water) at an initial temperature of °C. The pot has an emissivity of , and the surroundings are at °C. Calculate the coffee's rate of heat loss by radiation.
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