Convection, conduction and radiation in space

On Earth we notice convection through breathing, conduction through heat and radiation through sunlight. But do we notice these in space? And if not, then why? Let’s make a few definitions.

 

Convection is the spread of molecules in a fluid. This can be imagined as a blob of blue ink in water. As the ink is placed in the water, it is spherical (ball shaped). But as time goes on the blue ink travels through the water, thus losing its sphericity.

 

Conduction is the transfer of heat from one substance to another by direct contact. For example, if you place a hot water bottle onto a blanket you will notice that after some time the blanket will feel warm. 

 

Radiation is energy transmitted in the form of waves, and does not require a medium to travel through (in comparison to sound that does require a medium - see below). An example of this is light, which is an electromagnetic wave and travels at the speed of light (3*10^8 m/s in a vacuum).

 

So why is this important in space? Let’s think about how sound travels: molecule one vibrates and crashes into molecule two, which makes molecule two vibrate and crash into molecule three and so on. Note that it is these molecules that make up a medium. However, in space there are no molecules and this is why sound cannot travel in space.

 

Therefore, in space we do not have convection as there is no fluid (a fluid is a gas or liquid) for the particles to travel through. But we can have radiation (for example, light) and conduction (for example, if you touch a hot water bottle in space you will feel its warmth).

DS
Answered by Daniel S. Physics tutor

12659 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

A body with speed v is projected from the surface of the earth(mass M & radius R). Find the maximum distance from the earth that this body reaches before returning back to earth, as a function of the initial speed v, M, R and the gravitational constant G


When catching a ball, a cricketer moves his hands for a short distance in the direction of travel of the ball as it makes contact with his hands. Explain why this technique results in less force being exerted on the cricketer's hands


How to determine the total time of flight for a projectile launched at an angle theta to the horizontal with an initial speed u?


A light is shone through a diffraction grating of slit spacing 4.5x10^5 lines per metre. The incident wavelength is 650nm. Find the angle produced by the incident light and the 2nd order maximum.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences