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Explain why a black road surface heats up more than pale grey concrete on a sunny day.

Question

Explain why a black road surface heats up more than pale grey concrete on a sunny day.

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Solution

  1. The phenomenon is primarily due to the concept of albedo, which is the measure of the reflectivity of a surface. Albedo ranges from 0 (for a perfectly black surface that absorbs all incident light) to 1 (for a perfectly white surface that reflects all incident light).

  2. Black surfaces have a lower albedo than lighter surfaces, meaning they reflect less sunlight and absorb more. This is why a black road surface heats up more than a pale grey concrete surface.

  3. When sunlight hits the black road, the road absorbs a large portion of the energy from the light. This absorbed energy increases the thermal energy of the road, causing its temperature to rise.

  4. On the other hand, a pale grey concrete surface has a higher albedo, meaning it reflects more sunlight and absorbs less. Therefore, it doesn't heat up as much as the black road surface.

  5. This is why, on a sunny day, you would find that a black road surface is hotter to touch than a pale grey concrete surface.

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