Question

The higher temperatures over a blacktop parking lot can be explained by the surface's characteristics. Blacktop, also known as asphalt, has a low albedo, which means it absorbs and retains heat from sunlight. When sunlight hits the blacktop surface, it is absorbed, leading to an increase in temperature. In contrast, natural surfaces like grass or trees have a higher albedo, reflecting more sunlight and keeping the area cooler. This difference in albedo causes the parking lot surface to become significantly hotter, resulting in higher temperatures in that location compared to the grove of trees.

Answer 1

Blacktop or asphalt heats up more than lighter surfaces or natural landscapes due to its lower albedo, which causes it to absorb more solar radiation. At night, the same blacktop cools down quicker as it has high emissivity and radiates heat more effectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

The absorption and radiation of heat from surfaces such as asphalt can be explained by the concept of albedo and emissivity. Albedo is a measure of how much sunlight a surface reflects; surfaces with low albedo, such as blacktop, absorb more heat. Conversely, emissivity pertains to an object's ability to emit energy as thermal radiation. Black surfaces are effective both at absorbing and radiating heat.

During the day, blacktop heats up more than lighter-colored surfaces or natural landscapes because it absorbs more solar radiation due to its lower albedo. Natural surfaces like grass have higher albedo, hence they absorb less heat and stay cooler. At night, the same blacktop loses heat more quickly than its surroundings, as it's a better radiator of energy.

A perfectly black object, with an emissivity of 1, would absorb all incoming radiation, whereas a perfect reflector with an emissivity of 0 would reflect all radiation. Objects in the real world, such as asphalt, have emissivities between these two extremes, with asphalt having a high emissivity close to that of an ideal radiator.