Kelvin's Theory on Solar Heat Dynamics
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What are the two primary theories proposed for the sun's heat generation?

  • Heat generated by nuclear fusion and heat generated by falling meteors.
  • Primitively created heat and heat generated by falling meteors. (correct)
  • Heat generated by tidal forces and heat generated by the sun's magnetic field.
  • Heat generated by the influx of meteoric matter and heat from the sun's gravitational pull.

What is the estimated amount of matter falling on the sun annually to maintain its heat?

  • 1/47 of the earth's mass (correct)
  • 1/100 of the sun's mass
  • 1/15,000,000 of the sun's mass (correct)
  • 1/5,000 of the sun's mass

What is the author's primary argument against the theory that the sun's heat is sustained by falling meteors?

  • The amount of matter required to provide the sun's heat for 3,000 years would lead to significant changes in the orbits of planets. (correct)
  • The sun's internal structure is incompatible with the theory of meteoric heating.
  • The sun's radiation is far too powerful to be explained by the influx of meteors.
  • There is insufficient evidence to support the claim that meteors are falling into the sun.

What astronomical phenomenon is being discussed in the text as a potential source of the matter falling into the sun?

<p>Zodiacal light (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the suggested timeframe for which the Zodiacal light could provide a supply of heat for the sun, according to the text?

<p>30,000 years (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Based on the text, what is the author's stance on the role of meteors in providing the sun's heat?

<p>The author believes meteors play a significant but not exclusive role in the sun's heat generation. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How would the influx of meteoric matter impact the length of the year?

<p>Decrease the length of the year due to the addition of mass to the sun. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does the author suggest looking for disturbances in the motions of visible planets?

<p>To estimate the possible amount of matter in the Zodiacal Light. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the second great law of thermodynamics?

<p>The universal tendency to dissipate mechanical energy, leading to heat diffusion, motion cessation, and potential energy exhaustion. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary argument against the possibility of a universal state of 'rest and death'?

<p>It is impossible to conceive of a limit to the extent of matter in the universe, thus implying an endless progression of energy transformations. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate time frame Kelvin suggests for the Sun's diameter to contract by one-tenth of a percent?

<p>20,000 years (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary objective of this article?

<p>To demonstrate the scientific principles behind the sun's heat production and its implications for Earth. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to Kelvin's calculations, what is the maximum possible value for the Sun's specific heat relative to water?

<p>10,000 times (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the author highlight as a key element in understanding the sun's energy?

<p>The sun's ability to convert potential energy into motion and heat. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the estimated temperature of the Sun, as stated by Kelvin?

<p>14,000° Cent. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor influencing the sun's energy output?

<p>The gravitational force between the sun and the earth. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the range Kelvin establishes for the Sun's cooling rate, in terms of how long it takes for its temperature to decrease by 100° Cent.?

<p>700 to 700,000 years (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What conclusion does the author draw regarding the sun's temperature?

<p>The sun's temperature is currently unknown, and there is no evidence of its decreasing or increasing. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the maximum possible expansibility in volume of the Sun's mass, according to Kelvin's calculations?

<p>1/4000 per 100° Cent. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What concept is emphasized by the author in describing the future condition of the earth?

<p>The uncertain but potentially long-lasting influence of the sun's energy on Earth's future. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the minimum value for the Sun's specific heat relative to water that Kelvin considers plausible, based on geological evidence?

<p>10 times (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the author approach the discussion of the sun's heat?

<p>By sharing a scientific perspective on the matter, acknowledging limitations and uncertainties in current understanding. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does Kelvin believe that the Sun's specific heat is likely to be less than 10,000 times that of water?

<p>Because the Sun's expansibility in volume is unlikely to be more than 1/400 per 1° Cent. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary method of heat generation for the Sun that Kelvin discusses in this excerpt?

<p>Gravitational contraction (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary conclusion drawn about the Sun's heat source?

<p>The Sun's heat is primarily generated by a gradual cooling process. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary evidence used to argue against the meteoric influx theory?

<p>The existence of comets passing near the Sun without experiencing significant resistance. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the data from Herschel and Pouillet?

<p>It quantifies the amount of heat radiated by the Sun. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main point of the passage regarding the Sun's composition?

<p>The Sun's composition is similar to that of Earth. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the passage suggest about the rate of the Sun's cooling?

<p>The Sun's cooling occurs at an extremely slow and difficult to measure rate. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the meaning of '$6 \times 10^{30}$' as used in the passage?

<p>The total amount of heat energy released by the Sun per year. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of Le Verrier's research mentioned in the passage?

<p>It suggests the existence of smaller celestial bodies within Mercury's orbit. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a hypothesis presented in the passage regarding the Sun's heat source?

<p>The Sun's heat is generated by the gravitational compression of its core. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the most probable explanation for the sun's heat?

<p>Meteoric theory (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason why chemical action is insufficient to explain the sun's heat?

<p>Chemical action is too slow to generate the sun's heat. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the key principle that underlies the meteoric theory of solar heat?

<p>Gravity (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the text suggest is the relationship between the meteoric theory and the work of Joule?

<p>Joule's work provided experimental support for the meteoric theory. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the estimated amount of heat the sun could produce using the meteoric theory?

<p>20,000,000 years' worth of heat. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the statement that the sun's heat is generated by a cause that is known to exist from independent evidence?

<p>It strengthens the credibility of the meteoric theory. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the excerpt?

<p>To argue that gravity is the fundamental source of the sun's heat. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the statement that the meteoric theory involves bodies "falling together from a state of relative rest"?

<p>It highlights that the process involves the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the issue with the assumption that the sun has always existed as an incandescent liquid?

<p>It fails to explain the origin of the sun's heat. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two main proposed explanations for the origin of the sun's heat provided in the text?

<p>Divine intervention and meteoric action. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason the author rejects the idea of complete meteoric compensation for the sun's heat loss?

<p>It is contradicted by the observed length of the year. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the author suggest as a potential alternative to the idea of complete meteoric compensation?

<p>The sun may have a more complex internal structure than previously understood. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the author mean by "the finiteness of the sun"?

<p>The sun's limited size. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does the author refer to "certain actions going on before us at present"?

<p>To demonstrate the possibility of a naturally occurring source of heat for the sun. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a hypothesis for the origin of the sun's heat?

<p>The sun's heat is a result of continuous energy influx from external sources. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of the text?

<p>To present a critical analysis of various theories about the sun's heat. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Meteoric matter

Material from meteors that can generate heat in the sun's atmosphere.

Incandescent liquid mass

A hot, glowing state of matter that the sun may currently be in.

Heat compensation

The balance between heat generated and lost by radiation.

Zodiacal Light

A faint glow in the night sky potentially made up of dust and meteors, affecting solar heat estimates.

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Thermal effect

The increase in temperature produced by a specific mechanism, such as meteoric impacts.

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Spirals to the sun

The gradual path meteors take as they approach the sun, influenced by gravitational forces.

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Solar mass increase

The theoretical added mass from meteoric matter affecting the sun over time.

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Visible planets disturbances

Changes in the orbits of planets that could indicate the presence of meteoric matter.

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Second Law of Thermodynamics

A principle stating irreversibility in nature leading to energy dissipation.

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Mechanical Energy

Energy that is conserved and can change forms, but not destroyed.

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Universal Rest

A theoretical state where all motion ceases in a finite universe.

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Creative Power

An overriding force necessary for the existence of life.

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Secular Cooling of the Sun

The gradual decrease in the sun's heat over time.

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Current Temperature of the Sun

The present measurement of the sun's heat energy.

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Origin of the Sun’s Heat

The source from which the sun's energy is derived.

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Total Amount of Sun’s Heat

The overall energy output of the sun over its lifetime.

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Le Verrier's Research

Studies of Mercury's motion revealing influences of surrounding matter.

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Meteoric Influx

The arrival of meteors impacting the sun's heat balance.

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Density of Meteoric Cloud

Assumed high density of matter surrounding the sun affecting orbits.

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Solar Radiation Compensation

The idea that solar radiation is offset by meteoric heat.

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Yearly Heat Radiation

The quantity of heat the sun radiates annually, about 6 × 10^30 times raising 1 lb of water by 1° C.

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Herschel and Pouillet

Researchers who provided estimates of the sun's heat radiation.

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Similarity to Earth's Substance

Evidence suggesting the sun's material composition resembles Earth's.

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Origin of Solar Heat

The source of heat in the sun, either created or acquired.

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Meteoric Theory

The hypothesis that meteors contribute heat to the sun.

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Active Source of Heat

The idea that the sun was created hot or heated by some process.

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Radiation Loss

The process of the sun losing heat into space over time.

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Natural Process Heat

Heat acquired through processes defined by physical laws.

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Compensated Heat Generation

Heat generated by meteoric influx balancing lost heat.

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Meteoric Vortex Hypothesis

The modified idea that meteoric actions impact earth's time laws.

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Improbable Creation

The unlikelihood that the sun was created hot forever.

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Specific Heat of the Sun

The quantity of heat required to change the temperature of the sun's mass.

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Radiation Rate

The speed at which the sun emits energy in the form of radiation.

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Contraction of Diameter

The reduction in the sun's size over time due to radiation.

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Mean Temperature of the Sun

The average temperature maintained by the sun's mass.

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Heat Acquisition

The process by which the sun gains heat from natural causes.

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Heat Loss Over Time

The gradual decrease in the sun's temperature due to radiation.

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Temperature Drop Timeframe

The estimated duration for the sun to decrease in temperature significantly.

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Expansibility of Volume

The extent to which the sun's mass expands when heated.

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Gravitation

The force that pulls smaller bodies together to form larger ones like the sun.

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Joule's Principle

The principle that energy lost in motion results in an equivalent amount of heat.

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Chemical Action Insufficiency

Chemical reactions can't produce enough heat to explain the sun's temperature.

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Heat from Collisions

Heat generated from the collision of bodies falling together in space.

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Years of Solar Heat

Meteoric theory estimates the sun's heat can last 20,000,000 years.

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Heat Calculation

Mathematical assessment of heat generated based on body collisions.

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Pouillet’s Estimate

An estimate of the annual amount of solar radiation, used for comparison.

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Study Notes

Kelvin's On the Age of the Sun's Heat

  • Second law of thermodynamics dictates irreversible action; mechanical energy is indestructible but tends to dissipate, leading to universal rest and death if the universe is finite.
  • Infinite progression of matter and transformation of energy is more probable than a finite, mechanistic universe.
  • The article aims to determine probable timeframes for solar heat and light.
  • Secular cooling of the sun cannot be precisely calculated due to lack of accurate data on heat loss.
  • Meteoric influx is debated as a possible heat source; it might be generated within the sun's orbit—potentially, from a cloud of matter around the sun rather than from space.
  • Sun's immense heat loss is evidenced by radiation.
  • The present temperature of the sun is hypothesised as far less than believed due to the lack of knowledge about the physical properties of the sun.
  • The article suggests a methodology for calculating heat losses; determining a possible timescale for heat dissipation.
  • The rate of the sun's cooling is likely far faster than contemporary estimates and contemporary calculations don't precisely estimate the extent and rate of cooling.
  • The solar temperature is plausible to be in the range of 7,000 horse power per square foot of the sun's surface according to Rankine and others.
  • Conduction and convection play little role in the transfer of energy from the centre of the sun.
  • The sun's heat may have originated from active creation or from a natural process.
  • Meteoric theory of solar heat generation is likely, whereby the sun formed from smaller bodies colliding, generating heat via conversion of energy from motion during collision—this explanation is most likely and accounts for the sun's heat output.
  • Chemical reactions alone cannot produce enough heat to sustain the sun's radiation for the observed timeframe.
  • Estimates suggest that the sun may not have existed for 500,000,000 years.

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