Group 1

Members:
Michael Sheehan
Marcus Hoban
Todd Adkins
Ana Erb
Michael Genovese
Jeffrey Dalisay
Shanny Delisme
Bradley Kroger

What is Thermal Radiation?

Thermal Radiation is
energy (whether
created or reflected)
from an object.

Unlike conduction or
convection, Radiation
does not need a medium
in order to travel.

The equation for Energy due to

radiation is E=AT^4
is the emissivity of the surface
is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant

(Solar energy is an example

of radiation, because it can
travel through the vacuum of
space.)

Theory
Radiation is energy emitted from a body as a result
of its finite temperature.
Thermal radiation energy is a type of
electromagnetic radiation.
Radiation, unlike conduction and convection, needs
no medium to travel.
Radiation travels at the speed of light (in a vacuum),
in the form of waves. It may travel slightly slower if
there is air or another medium present.
Depending on the material, radiation can be
reflected, absorbed, or passed through different
materials, depending on their properties.

Why Experiment With Thermal Radiation?

Because Dr. Shih said so

Determining its properties based on intensity,
distance from source, and effect on different
materials.
By varying voltage, gap size,and materials between
a radiation source and an object, data will be
received and used later in the experiment.

Materials Needed for Experiment:

DC Power Supply>
<Thermal Radiation Sensor
Multimeters (3 Ideally)
Thermal Radiation Cube>
w/light bulb
<Radiation Lamp/Bulb
Wires (5 Ideally)

Setup:
Test the resistance of the bulb. Plug the radiation
lamp directly into an ammeter and set to measure
resistance. This will be used later on to find the
temperature of the filament.
Set up the circuit. Plug the
DC power supply into the
radiation lamp. Also have a
voltmeter and ammeter
plugged into the circuit.
Ohms Law (V=IR) will be
used to find the resistance at
each intensity. This will also
be needed later on to
determine the filament
temperature.

setup cont.
Plug the radiation sensor into a multimeter set to measure voltage.
Set the radiation sensor on its stand. Face the bulb
and the sensor directly towards each other.
Adjust the height of the sensor to that of the filament in the bulb.
Both devices must lie on the same axis for testing.

Remember:
Since the power supply outputs a DC voltage, all
readings must be taken the same way. Set all
ammeters to DC.
Do not exceed 13 volts from the power supply.
Doing so could be damaging to the lamp or the
sensor.

4 Parts to the Lab:

1.

Varying Voltage (intensity) of lamp

(distance remains constant). This is done to
find temperature of filament at each intensity.

2.

Varying length of gap between lamp and

sensor. (voltage remains constant.) A plot
will be created to find radiation energy as a
function of distance.

3.

Vary surface material (voltage and distance

remain constant) to find emissivity of
different materials at different wavelengths.

4.

Show the effects on radiation passing

through a transparent material. This will
help to find what temperatures and
wavelengths transmit radiation more
effectively.

Part 1 Vary Voltage

Verification of StefanBoltzmann Law

Measuring Distance
Distance measured from the filament in
the bulb to the actual sensor 6 cm

I--I
6cm

Using the Power Supply

To vary the intensity, use the current and
voltage knobs on the power supply and
read voltage off of the voltmeter

Measuring Radiation Sensor

Output Voltage
At the desired bulb voltage, capture the reading
for the radiation sensor output voltage by
opening the shutter by squeezing.
Tip This
reading will be the
most important
one, make sure to
use the best
multimeter for the
sensor.

Finding Filament Temperature

Retrieve the
resistances at each
intensity using V and I
(Ohms Law).
Using the graph
and/or table for
Temperature vs.
Relative Resistivity for
tungsten, Tfilament can
be determined by
taking R/Rinitial as the
relative resistivity.

Ambient Readings
Ambient radiation (bulb off) readings to be
taken in addition to readings with bulb in
order to adjust with tested readings (bulb
on) to calculate net radiation.
Ambient readings should be taken
preferably before turning on the bulb so
that no radiated heat from the bulb will
affect readings.

Part 2 Varying the Distance

Use same set-up as before for step 2,
keep at constant 10V and vary distance
(x)

Additional Tips
Keep ruler flat on table and use clamp to
measure the distance
DONT touch the bulb with bare hands!
Oils will get on bulb and it will shorten its
life (like car halogen bulbs)
FINALLY, and MOST IMPORTANT

DONT BREAK THE BULB!!!

Part 3 Leslies Cube

Radiation cube with light bulb inside
There is a thermistor inside the cube
Temperature vs. Resistance calibration
can be made.

Leslies Cube
Leslies thermal cube emits heat as radiation through its
four sides, each made with a different material. The power
knob changes the intensity to the light bulb. The thermistor
will measure resistance in the bulb. At a steady state of
resistance, temperature can be interpolated by using the
table on the backside of the cube.

Leslies Cube
Turn radiation cube to desired power settings
Allow cube to reach equilibrium
Recording emitted radiation from four different
surfaces
Black
White
Polished Aluminum
Dull Aluminum

Glass Plate
Comparing results with and without plate
How the glass plate transmits radiation at
high & low temperature

!!!!

Watch Out!

!!!!

-Although all experiments must be done with as much care and precision
as possible, this experiment must be done with extreme care!
-The radiation sensor is EXTREMELY sensitive! It may pick up
ambient radiation reflected from materials in the room, lights, and even
YOU! Only expose it as long as needed to retrieve data.
-The other components are also very delicate, especially the bulb on
the the thermal radiation lamp. Do not be careless with it. I repeat,
do not break the light bulb.
-For the thermal cube, you will most likely not have enough time to
reach steady state. Choose a reasonable point to extract data, then
stay consistent with it for your other readings.
-Consistency is the key Do measurements exactly the
same every time.

Fin

Questions?