science question

Question

One side of an asteroid is constantly illuminated by the sun while the other side remains in the dark. If the two sides are at different temperatures, how might heat transfer from one side to the other? Note that our asteroid does not have enough gravity to hold an atmosphere.

Answer 1

There are three ways to transport energy (heat): convection, conduction, and radiation. 

• Convection is the mixing of fluids of different temperatures.  Because the asteroid does not have an atmosphere (a fluid), it cannot transport heat by convection
• Conduction is the transport of heat through direct contact.  Heat from the sun-facing side can be transported through the interior of the asteroid to the other side by conduction
• Hot objects radiate electromagnetic waves, which carry energy away.  Radiation emanates "radially" away from its source, so it cannot bend around to reach the back of the asteroid; so heat cannot be transported to the back side of the asteroid by radiation

 

The answer is conduction