Question

Planet Venus is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon. One of the reasons for this is that Venus has very high Albedo, 0.7, meaning It reflects 70% of the sunlight that hits the planet. Earth on the other hand has an Albedo of 0.3, meaning that only 30% of the sunlight is being reflected out, and the rest is being absorbed.

The Temperature on Venus is very high, in order of 400 C, compared to Earth that is around 17 C(on average). Based on the above, What do you conclude ?

O Higher Albedo = Higher temperature, so this is consistent with all the class information,

O Higher Albedo = Lower Temperatures, so something else other than Albedo must be responsible for the high temperature on Venus.

O Venus is closer to the sun so it receives more sunlight, that's why it is warmer. The Albedo has nothing to do with it.

O None of these statements is correct.

Answer 1

The extreme temperature on Venus is primarily due to the greenhouse effect caused by its dense atmosphere, not just its albedo.

Step-by-step explanation:

The high temperature on Venus is not solely due to its high albedo. While Venus does have a high albedo, reflecting 70% of the sunlight that hits the planet, and Earth has a lower albedo of 30%, other factors contribute to the extreme temperature difference between the two planets. Venus has a thick atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide, which traps heat from the Sun and creates a greenhouse effect. This leads to a runaway greenhouse effect on Venus, causing the planet to be much hotter than expected based on its distance from the Sun.

In addition, Venus is closer to the Sun than Earth, which means it receives more sunlight. However, the primary factor responsible for the high temperature on Venus is the greenhouse effect caused by its dense atmosphere, not just its albedo.

In conclusion, higher albedo does not necessarily mean higher temperature. The extreme temperature on Venus is primarily due to the greenhouse effect caused by its atmosphere.