Question

why is heat transfer by conduction limited to the area very near earths surface?

- the ground stays warmer than the air
- the atmosphere is thicker there
- little solar radiation reaches all the way to the surface
- air is a poor conductor of heat energy

Answer 1

the correct answer is "air is a poor conductor of heat energy ".

the propriety to conduct heat is called conductivity.

The air, being an gas, has poor conduction because the atoms and molecules are far apart from each other.

Conductivity is the ability to transfer heat to neighbour atoms and that can only hapen if there is an neighbour.

That is the case of the ground, which is solid and, thans to that, each atom can share the solar energy with his neighbours.

In the case of a gas, what does happens is that heat increases the particles kinetic energy, making them travel faster