Topic: Heat Transfer
If the temperature of the sun is doubled, the rate of energy received on earth will be increased by a factor of
- A. 2
- B. 4
- C. 8
- D. 16
Answer: D. 16
Explanation: According to the Stefan-Boltzmann law, the rate of energy emitted by a black body is directly proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature, expressed as $E \propto T^4$. If the initial temperature $T$ is doubled to $2T$, the new energy rate becomes $E_2 \propto (2T)^4 = 16T^4$. Therefore, the energy received is increased by a factor of 16.