the effective incoming solar radiation per unit area on earth is 342 W/M^2. of this radiation, 6.7 W/m^2 is absorbed by CO2 at 14993 nm in the atmosphere. how many photons at this wavelength are absorbed per second in 1 m^2 by CO2?
nvm solved
To calculate the number of photons absorbed per second by CO2 at a specific wavelength, we need to use the equation:
Number of photons absorbed per second = Power absorbed at that wavelength / Energy per photon
First, let's convert the given wavelength from nanometers (nm) to meters (m):
14993 nm = 14993 x 10^(-9) m
Next, we need to find the energy per photon using the equation:
Energy per photon = (Planck's constant * Speed of light) / wavelength
Planck's constant (h) = 6.63 x 10^(-34) Joule-seconds
Speed of light (c) = 3 x 10^8 meters/second
Energy per photon = (6.63 x 10^(-34) * 3 x 10^8) / (14993 x 10^(-9))
Now, we can calculate the number of photons absorbed per second:
Number of photons absorbed per second = (Power absorbed at that wavelength) / (Energy per photon)
Number of photons absorbed per second = 6.7 W/m^2 / (Energy per photon)
Inserting the values:
Energy per photon ≈ (6.63 x 10^(-34) * 3 x 10^8) / (14993 x 10^(-9))
Energy per photon ≈ 3.314 x 10^(-19) Joules
Number of photons absorbed per second ≈ 6.7 W/m^2 / (3.314 x 10^(-19) J)
Lastly, we can calculate the final result:
Number of photons absorbed per second ≈ 2.019 x 10^19 photons/second
Therefore, approximately 2.019 x 10^19 photons at a wavelength of 14993 nm are absorbed per second in 1 m^2 by CO2.