Neat! If it's not coupling (radiating) to the air, and not coupling to your hand, what *is* it coupling to?
/************************************
Down with categorical imperative!
flutzpah@yahoo.com
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________________________________
From: Michael Edmiston <edmiston@bluffton.edu>
To: Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 12:39:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] paint your roof?
[...]
[2] I was up on the roof late one afternoon to paint some trim around the
hatch and around the edge of the roof. The roof felt only a little above
ambient temperature when the sun was on it. It absolutely was not hot. The
amazing thing was when the sun went down. The roof got cold. Not ambient
temperature... but cold. That white roof was radiating like crazy. I
thought maybe I was imagining it, so I got a digital thermometer and placed
it in contact with the roof and it was about 60 F when the ambient air
temperature was about 72 F. This made me rethink my thoughts about
blackbody radiators.
[...]
Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Physics
Bluffton University
1 University Drive
Bluffton, OH 45817
419.358.3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu