Practice B.2 Greenhouse effect with authentic IB Physics exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1A, 1B, 2 structure, covering key topics like mechanics, thermodynamics, and waves. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
The atmosphere of a certain planet allows of incoming solar radiation to pass through but absorbs of the outgoing infrared radiation from the surface. What effect does this have on the surface temperature on Earth?
Which of the following best explains why the surface temperature of Venus is significantly higher than that of Earth, despite a similar solar constant?
A planet has albedo 0.25, emissivity 0.6, and solar constant .
Calculate the absorbed intensity.
Write the energy balance equation and estimate for surface temperature.
Outline on the effect of increasing albedo on the temperature.
Three energy sources for power stations are
I. fossil fuel
II. pumped water storage
III. nuclear fuel.
Which energy sources are primary sources?
The orbital radius of the Earth around the Sun is 1.5 times that of Venus. Solar constant is . What is the intensity of solar radiation at the orbital radius of Venus?
The average temperature of the surface of a planet is five times greater than the average temperature of the surface of its moon. The emissivities of the planet and the moon are the same. The average intensity radiated by the planet is . What is the average intensity radiated by its moon?
The three statements give possible reasons why an average value should be used for the solar constant.
I. The Sun's output varies during its 11 year cycle.
II. The Earth is in elliptical orbit around the Sun.
III. The plane of the Earth's spin on its axis is tilted to the plane of its orbit about the Sun.
Which are the correct reasons for using an average value for the solar constant?
A planet in a distant solar system has an average orbital radius around its star of 1.5 AU (where 1 AU is the distance from the Earth to the Sun). The star has a solar constant of 2.0 kW/m² at a distance of 1 AU. This planet has a thin atmosphere with a greenhouse effect similar to Earth’s.
Calculate the solar constant at the orbital radius of the planet (1.5 AU) from its star.
Calculate the total incoming radiative power received by the planet if the planet's surface area exposed to sunlight is m.
Describe the greenhouse effect and explain how it would affect the planet’s surface temperature in comparison to a planet without an atmosphere.
State the meaning of the term albedo.
Explain how greenhouse gases contribute to the warming of the Earth’s surface.
The average solar power per unit area arriving at the top of Earth’s atmosphere is . Given that the Earth's average albedo is , determine the average power per unit area absorbed by the Earth.
Using the Stefan–Boltzmann law, , explain what happens to the Earth's surface temperature if the concentration of greenhouse gases increases.
The average albedo of glacier ice is 0.25 .
What is ?