Final answer:
The calculation shows that approximately 0.27 kg of snow per square meter will melt due to the absorbed solar energy of 5% from the sun's 500 W/m² over the course of an hour.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves calculating the amount of snow that will melt due to absorbed solar energy. Given that the snow absorbs 5% of 500 W/m² from sunlight, we can calculate the energy absorbed and then determine the amount of snow that will melt.
Firstly, the energy absorbed by the snow in an hour is 5% of 500 W/m². This is equal to 0.05 × 500 W/m², which is 25 W/m². In an hour (3600 seconds), the energy absorbed will be 25 W/m² × 3600 s = 90,000 Joules/m².
The latent heat of fusion for ice is approximately 334,000 Joules/kg. Since a cubic meter of snow has a mass of 100 kg, we need 334,000 Joules to melt 1 kg of snow. Therefore, the amount of snow that will melt from the absorbed energy can be calculated by dividing the absorbed energy by the latent heat of fusion:
Amount of snow melted per square meter = ³90,000 Joules/m² / 334,000 Joules/kg = Approx. 0.27 kg/m²
Therefore, approximately 0.27 kg of snow per square meter will melt due to the absorbed solar energy over the course of an hour.