Why can the sun transmit heat to Earth only by radiation?
• The space between the sun and Earth contains almost no matter.
The molecules in the sun are moving too fast to cause conduction.
Radiation does not require the creation of electromagnetic waves.
Radiation transmits heat through the motion of a gas.
The correct answer is the first option: The space between the sun and Earth contains almost no matter.
Conduction is the transfer of heat through direct contact between molecules or objects. Since there is almost no matter in the vacuum of space between the sun and Earth, conduction is not possible.
The second option, stating that the molecules in the sun are moving too fast to cause conduction, is not accurate. The temperature of the sun is extremely high, leading to the fast movement of its molecules, but conduction is still not possible due to the lack of matter.
The third option, stating that radiation does not require the creation of electromagnetic waves, is incorrect. Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through the creation and propagation of electromagnetic waves.
The fourth option, stating that radiation transmits heat through the motion of a gas, is incorrect. Radiation does not require the motion of a gas to transmit heat. It can occur through the transfer of electromagnetic waves, regardless of gas motion.