IB Physics SL B.2.1 Conservation of Energy

Practise balancing incoming, reflected, absorbed and emitted intensities in climate diagrams, using equilibrium to solve a missing surface, atmosphere or ocean energy flow.

Syllabus
First assessment 2025
Objective
—
Level
SL

Exam points

  • sum all incoming and outgoing intensity arrows for the stated surface, atmosphere or whole-planet boundary
  • set net energy transfer to zero at constant temperature and solve the missing intensity
  • identify warming or cooling from the sign of incoming power minus outgoing power

B.2.1—Conservation of energy question 1

[Maximum number: 1]

In an energy-balance climate model, the power of the incoming radiation over an area A is PiP_{\mathrm{i}} and the power of the outgoing radiation over the same area is PoP_{\mathrm{o}}. The surface heat capacity is CsC_{\mathrm{s}}. What is the time taken to increase the temperature of the area by θ\theta ?

A

(Pi−Po)Csθ\frac{\left(P_{\mathrm{i}}-P_{\mathrm{o}}\right)}{C_{\mathrm{s}} \theta}

B

Csθ(Pi−Po)\frac{C_{\mathrm{s}} \theta}{\left(P_{\mathrm{i}}-P_{\mathrm{o}}\right)}

C

ACsθ(Pi−Po)\frac{A C_{\mathrm{s}} \theta}{\left(P_{\mathrm{i}}-P_{\mathrm{o}}\right)}

D

A(Pi−Po)Csθ\frac{A\left(P_{\mathrm{i}}-P_{\mathrm{o}}\right)}{C_{\mathrm{s}} \theta}

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