Question

Two objects, A and B, have the same mass, but A is cooler than B. Which object will emit more radiation

A) A
B) B
C) Both emit the same amount
D) It depends on the specific heat capacity

Answer 1

Object B, which is warmer than object A, will emit more radiation because thermal radiation emitted by an object is proportional to its temperature to the fourth power, regardless of the objects' mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering two objects, A and B, that have the same mass, but A is cooler than B, the object that will emit more radiation is object B. According to the Stefan-Boltzmann law, the amount of thermal radiation emitted by an object is proportional to its temperature to the fourth power. Therefore, the warmer object will emit more radiation, assuming all other factors are equal. The specific heat capacity of the materials does not directly affect the emission of radiation in this context; it affects how quickly an object can change temperature when absorbing or releasing heat, but not the electromagnetic radiation being emitted due to the object's temperature. Hence, the specific heat capacity is not relevant to the question of which object emits more radiation based solely on their temperatures.