Thermodynamics question.

[RED-DOG]

I just saw some energy saving tips, one of which was, Don't put large items of furniture in front of radiators because they absorb heat.

So, they absorb heat. Then what do they do with it, send it to the Twilight Zone?

[david3103]

I just saw some energy saving tips, one of which was, Don't put large items of furniture in front of radiators because they absorb heat.

So, they absorb heat. Then what do they do with it, send it to the Twilight Zone?

They probably waste some of it. Expansion and the like maybe?

[tikay]

I just saw some energy saving tips, one of which was, Don't put large items of furniture in front of radiators because they absorb heat.

So, they absorb heat. Then what do they do with it, send it to the Twilight Zone?

They don't radiate that heat as efficiently as a radiator.

Oh, & keep your socks on tonight, please. That mental image is deeply troubling.

[Mohican]

You have to heat them up which uses energy.Keeping them at that temp uses energy. So you need more energy to heat the room.

[RED-DOG]

You have to heat them up which uses energy.Keeping them at that temp uses energy. So you need more energy to heat the room.

So the furniture keeps getting hotter and hotter?

[RED-DOG]

I just saw some energy saving tips, one of which was, Don't put large items of furniture in front of radiators because they absorb heat.

So, they absorb heat. Then what do they do with it, send it to the Twilight Zone?

They probably waste some of it. Expansion and the like maybe?

If it uses energy to expand, surely it releases energy when it contracts.

[david3103]

I just saw some energy saving tips, one of which was, Don't put large items of furniture in front of radiators because they absorb heat.

So, they absorb heat. Then what do they do with it, send it to the Twilight Zone?

They probably waste some of it. Expansion and the like maybe?

If it uses energy to expand, surely it releases energy when it contracts.

But that might not be when you want it to.

Or... Energy comes in a variety of forms, heat energy is not the same as kinetic energy, the creaks from the sofa as it expands and contracts also convert some of that heat into sound.

Any of that make sense? I've got man-flu and am still attempting to get my head round how to explain cogito ergo sum to a 9yr old.

[Tal]

"...and this perpetual motion machine she made is a joke. It just keeps getting faster and faster."

[Tal]

[RED-DOG]

I just saw some energy saving tips, one of which was, Don't put large items of furniture in front of radiators because they absorb heat.

So, they absorb heat. Then what do they do with it, send it to the Twilight Zone?

They probably waste some of it. Expansion and the like maybe?

If it uses energy to expand, surely it releases energy when it contracts.

But that might not be when you want it to.

Or... Energy comes in a variety of forms, heat energy is not the same as kinetic energy, the creaks from the sofa as it expands and contracts also convert some of that heat into sound.

Any of that make sense? I've got man-flu and am still attempting to get my head round how to explain cogito ergo sum to a 9yr old.

I like the bolded bit. that's a good sound argument, not sure if it supports the 'saving energy' cause though.

The rest is bollocks obv

[AndrewT]

If you have a radiator, you want it to heat the air in the room, not the back of a bookcase. Any heat absorbed by the bookcase will be stored until the room cool, when the heat goes back into the room, albeit at a slower rate than it did from the radiator (as it's not as hot) and at a time when you probably don't need the extra heat (as you've switched the radiator off).

[RED-DOG]

If you have a radiator, you want it to heat the air in the room, not the back of a bookcase. Any heat absorbed by the bookcase will be stored until the room cool, when the heat goes back into the room, albeit at a slower rate than it did from the radiator (as it's not as hot) and at a time when you probably don't need the extra heat (as you've switched the radiator off).

So the bookcase is actually saving the energy for later, like a storage heater?

[bobAlike]

If you have a radiator, you want it to heat the air in the room, not the back of a bookcase. Any heat absorbed by the bookcase will be stored until the room cool, when the heat goes back into the room, albeit at a slower rate than it did from the radiator (as it's not as hot) and at a time when you probably don't need the extra heat (as you've switched the radiator off).

So the bookcase is actually saving the energy for later, like a storage heater?

Yes but not as effectively.

[RED-DOG]

If you have a radiator, you want it to heat the air in the room, not the back of a bookcase. Any heat absorbed by the bookcase will be stored until the room cool, when the heat goes back into the room, albeit at a slower rate than it did from the radiator (as it's not as hot) and at a time when you probably don't need the extra heat (as you've switched the radiator off).

So the bookcase is actually saving the energy for later, like a storage heater?

Yes but not as effectively.

Oh yes it is 

If the wardrobe absorbs exactly 10 units of heat, (lets call them calories) it will release exactly 10 calories of heat.

[bobAlike]

If you have a radiator, you want it to heat the air in the room, not the back of a bookcase. Any heat absorbed by the bookcase will be stored until the room cool, when the heat goes back into the room, albeit at a slower rate than it did from the radiator (as it's not as hot) and at a time when you probably don't need the extra heat (as you've switched the radiator off).

So the bookcase is actually saving the energy for later, like a storage heater?

Yes but not as effectively.

Oh yes it is 

If the wardrobe absorbs exactly 10 units of heat, (lets call them calories) it will release exactly 10 calories of heat.

But it doesn't store the calories (AKA BTU's) for as long as a storage heater can unless the sofa is made from ceramic bricks or the storage heater is fan assisted and malfunctioning.