Final answer:
The absorption and emission of radiation are critical to understanding how temperatures change in objects. An idealized object that perfectly absorbs all electromagnetic energy is called a blackbody. The temperature increase in an object due to absorbed radiation is an interplay of the kinetic energy of molecules, endothermic and exothermic processes, and the laws of radiation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process described refers to the absorption of shortwave radiation and how it increases the temperature of an object. When electromagnetic radiation, such as sunlight, strikes an object, it can be absorbed, causing the molecules within the object to move faster, thereby increasing its internal kinetic energy and raising its temperature. This is related to the laws of radiation, which describe how temperature and electromagnetic radiation interact.
For instance, a blackbody is a theoretical object that perfectly absorbs all incoming electromagnetic energy without reflecting any. This absorbed energy increases the blackbody's temperature. As the blackbody gets hotter, it emits electromagnetic radiation until the energy absorbed is equal to the energy radiated, reaching an equilibrium. Real-life objects, such as stars, have similar behavior to a blackbody.
The net rate of heat transfer by radiation is determined by the difference between the absorption and emission of radiation and depends on the temperature of the object and its surroundings. Chemical and physical processes also play a part, where endothermic processes absorb heat, and exothermic ones release it. The SI unit for energy, including heat, is the joule (J). An object at thermal equilibrium will have an absorption rate equal to its emission rate, making good absorbers also good emitters of radiation.