Answer :
Final answer:
The question inadvertently discusses the topic of heat flow through a house wall, which requires calculating the total R-value of the wall's layers to determine the rate of heat flow. The presence of wooden studs complicates the calculation, requiring separate consideration of their R-value.
Explanation:
A student has asked about the installation of GAF Leak Barriers in construction scenarios. However, the information provided and the calculations needed are related to heat flow through a house wall in a physics context, not the installation of leak barriers. To find the rate of heat flow through the wall, we need to calculate the total thermal resistance (R-value) of the wall and then apply the formula for heat flow rate (Q) provided by Fourier's law of thermal conduction: Q = ΔT / R, where ΔT is the temperature difference across the wall and R is the total thermal resistance.
For part (a), we have a drywall layer with an R-value of 0.56 and an insulated siding layer with an R-value of 2.6. We assume that the fiberglass batts in the 3.5-inch space also have an R-value, but it is not provided in the question. The R-values in series simply add up, so we get R_total = R_drywall + (R_fiberglass_batts) + R_siding. With the temperature difference of 22 °C - (-2 °C) = 24 °C, we calculate Q using the formula, taking into account the wall dimensions to find the heat flow through the entire wall.
For part (b), we must also take into account the thermal properties of the wooden studs. Since they have a different R-value than the fiberglass, and because they are distributed at intervals (on 16-inch centers), we must calculate the R-value of the wall sections with studs separately from those without studs. We then find an average R-value for the entire wall and calculate the heat flow rate (Q) accordingly.
