GATE ME 2025 Set 1 — Question 15
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Heat Transfer → Convection → Forced & Free Convection
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Question
Let a spherical block of ice at be exposed to atmospheric air at with the gravitational direction as shown in the figure below. What will be the overall direction of air flow in this situation?
Correct answer
(B) Downward
Solution
The air in the immediate vicinity of the ice block (at ) will cool down. As the temperature of the air decreases, its density increases. This colder, denser air is heavier than the surrounding ambient air at . Under the influence of gravity, which acts downwards, the denser air will sink. This creates a natural convection current where the overall direction of air flow is downward.
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