# If the Sun were bigger but colder, Earth would be hotter or colder?

That is the question. I know the concepts of luminosity $$(L=4\pi R^2F)$$ and the flow $$F=\sigma· T^4$$, with $$T$$ the temperature in its surface. But how I use that to know if the Earth would get warmer or not if $$R$$ increases and $$T$$ decreases?

• This depends in part on the change in $R$ and $T$. Dec 19 '15 at 15:09
• Yeah but the question is: the bigger the luminosity, the most the Sun warms the Earth? Or it depends only on the flow? Dec 19 '15 at 15:41
• @Carlos: As HDE said it depends on the precise values. Without pluggin in numbers you cannot know, as expansion and cooling have two competing effects on the luminosity. Dec 19 '15 at 16:02
• Yes, I know that, but more luminosity implies more heat? That's the question Dec 19 '15 at 20:22
• @CarlosVázquezMonzón Yep, via the formula for effective temperature. Dec 19 '15 at 23:10

The equilibrium temperature of the Earth, $T_E$, scales roughly as $L^{1/4}$, which is proportional to $R^{1/2} T$, where $L$, $R$ and $T$ are the solar luminosity, radius and temperature.
The actual approximate relationship is derived by equating the power received by the Earth, which is proportional to the solar luminosity $L$, with the power radiated by the Earth, which is proportional to $T_E^4$ for a blackbody. Hence $T_E \propto L^{1/4}$.