Monday 28 July 2014

A picture of physics: Crummock Water and the Solway

You might not think that this picture has a lot of physics in it but think about this. First there are the cumulus clouds formed by evaporation and convective rise. Then condensation when the temperature drops below the dew point. But condensation releases heat energy by latent heat which causes expansive rise upwards and hence the fluffy tops. Then there is the perfect reflection in Crummock Water. And if you enlarge the photograph you can see the massive wind farm at Robin Rigg in the Solway beyond. So there is a lot of physics in the picture.