Question

21. On a sunny day in the winter when the temperature remained below freezing, Paola made a snowball and placed

it on the sidewalk. A few hours later, she came back and noticed the snowball was gone and a puddle was left. In
terms of heat transfer, what happened to the snowball?
A. Heat was transferred from the air to the snowball through radiation.
B. Heat was transferred from the Sun to the snowball through radiation
C. Heat was transferred from the air to the snowball through conduction.
D. Heat was transferred from the Sun to the snowball through conduction

Answer 1

B. Heat was transferred from the Sun to the snowball through radiation

Step-by-step explanation:

Because the question states that the temperature was below freezing, we can eliminate choices A and C, which state that the heat to melt the snowball came from the air. If the temperatures were below freezing, then the air wouldn't have heat to transfer to the snowball. This leaves a choice between radiation and conduction. Conduction is the process by which heat/electricity is transferred by direct contact. Radiation is the process by which energy is transmitted in the forms of waves or particles through a medium like air. The sun is not making direct contact with the snowball, instead the rays from the sun are shining down and melting the snowball. Therefore, the correct answer choice is B. Heat was transferred from the Sun to the snowball through radiation.