We can see an iron rod at room temperature, because …

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider the question: 'We can see an iron rod at room temperature, because …' Options describe how visibility arises.

Option 1: It reflects ambient light. This is the correct line of reasoning for a typical metal at room temperature. When you look at a metal object like an iron rod, you primarily see it because it reflects the light present in the surrounding environment; the reflected light enters your eyes and enables you to perceive the rod.

Option 2: It emits electromagnetic energy at visible wavelengths of the spectrum. At room temperature, a typical iron rod does not actively emit visible light; emission at visible wavelengths would require the object to be heated to incandescence or have some active light source. So this statement is inaccurate for a rod simply sitting at room temperature.

Option 3: It emits electromagnetic energy at near-infrared wavelengths of the spectrum. Similarly, while all objects emit some thermal radiation according to their temperature, a solid at room temperature emits mostly in the far-infrared, not principally in the near-infrared visible range. The emission alone is not what makes it visible to the eye in ordinary conditions, and this option overstates the role of near-infrared emission for a room-temperature rod.

Option 4: It emits electromagnetic energy mostly at near-infrared but partly at visible wavelengths of the spectrum. This mixes concepts: at room temperature, any thermal emission would be weak and shifted toward far-infrared; the rod’s appearance is not due to emitted light in the near-infrared or visible, but rather reflection of ambient light. Therefore this statement is not correct for explaining ordinary visibility at room temperature.

In summary, the key idea is that visibility of a non-lamp metal object at room temperature comes from reflecting ambient light rather than emitting its own light; the other options misrepresent thermal emission behavior or incorrectly attribute visible light to emission rather than reflection.

GEOM30009_2025_SM1 6.3 - Assessment Task 3: In-class online quiz

We can see an iron rod at room temperature, because …

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