Physics – 2.3.3 Radiation | e-Consult

Expected Temperature Readings: The black cloth will be the hottest, followed by the black paper, then the white cloth, and finally the white paper being the coolest.

Explanation:

• Black Cloth & Black Paper: These surfaces are good absorbers of infrared radiation. They absorb a large amount of the thermal radiation emitted by objects in the room, converting it into thermal energy. This leads to a higher temperature.
• White Cloth & White Paper: These surfaces are poor absorbers of infrared radiation. They reflect most of the infrared radiation that hits them. Therefore, they absorb less thermal energy and remain cooler.

The differences in temperature are directly related to the ability of the surfaces to absorb infrared radiation. The more infrared radiation a surface absorbs, the hotter it becomes.