1. Sunlight enters through the windows: The glass windows of your car allow sunlight to enter the interior of the car.
2. Sunlight absorption by interior materials: The materials inside your car, such as the dashboard, seats, and carpet, absorb the sunlight that enters through the windows.
3. Heat trapping: The absorbed sunlight energy becomes trapped within the car due to the greenhouse effect. Glass windows act as a barrier, allowing sunlight to enter but preventing the long-wavelength infrared radiation emitted by the heated surfaces inside the car from escaping. This trapping of heat leads to a gradual increase in the temperature inside the vehicle.
4. Additional factors:
- Color of the car: Dark-colored cars absorb more sunlight than light-colored cars, resulting in a higher interior temperature.
- Parking location: Parking your car in direct sunlight, especially during peak sunlight hours, will cause it to heat up more compared to parking in a shaded area.
- Closed windows: Keeping the windows closed prevents the circulation of air and contributes to the accumulation of heat inside the car.
To mitigate the buildup of heat in your car, you can:
- Park in a shaded area or use a sunshade to block direct sunlight.
- Open the windows slightly or use the air conditioning system to circulate air and release trapped heat.
- Use reflective material or window tinting to reduce the amount of sunlight absorbed by the car's interior.
