explain how the intensity of sunlight shining on earth changes owver the course of a year

by Andreanne Wilderman 3 min read

The word ‘constant’ is a little misleading since, because of the Earth’s elliptical orbit the intensity of the solar radiation falling on the Earth changes by about 7% between January 1 st, when the Earth is nearest the Sun, and July 3 rd, when the Earth is furthest from the Sun (figure 1.2).

The variation in intensity results because the angle at which the sun's rays hit the Earth changes with time of year. If you shine a flashlight at the ceiling, the region that is illuminated shrinks or grows depending on whether you point it directly at the ceiling or at an angle.Oct 28, 2013

Full Answer

How does the angle of the sun affect the climate?

The amount of heat energy received at any location on the globe is a direct effect of Sun angle on climate, as the angle at which sunlight strikes Earth varies by location, time of day, and season due to Earth's orbit around the Sun and Earth's rotation around its tilted axis.

How do you teach about the Sun and the seasons?

Ask students to orally explain how the interaction between the sun and Earth affects seasons here on Earth, and what happens with the sun's rays during the different seasons. Encourage them to use vocabulary terms axis, tilt, direct sunlight, and indirect sunlight in their responses.

What happens when the Earth is leaning away from the Sun?

When the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth is leaning toward the sun, it receives direct sunlight. The warmth of direct rays causes spring and then summer in that part of the globe. When the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth is leaning away from the sun, it receives more indirect sunlight.

Does the Earth's tilt change over the course of a year?

Explain to students that the Earth's tilt does not change significantly over the course of a year, but does shift gradually over millennia. Have students stop the Earth after one-half of an orbit so that it is opposite of where it started. Then ask one group member to make it daytime for the “top” and “bottom” people.

How does the sun change over the year?

The Earth's axial tilt moves the Sun north/south over the year, and the elliptical orbit moves it east/west. Combine the two, and you get that crazy figure-8 in the sky.

What causes the distribution of sunlight to change over the course of a year?

The axis is tilted and points to the North Star no matter where Earth is in its orbit. Because of this, the distribution of the Sun's rays changes.

What causes light to shine on Earth differently at different times of the year?

The Earth is tilted at a 23.5-degree angle relative to the Earth's orbital plane around the Sun. Speaking scientifically, that's called the Earth's obliquity. This tilt causes the Sun's light to shine differently on Earth at different times of the year.

Does the intensity of the sun change?

The total energy coming from the Sun only varies by about 0.1% over each 11-year cycle. For a long time scientists didn't notice it either, which is why the Sun's intensity is called, ironically, the "solar constant." The intensity of the Sun varies along with the 11-year sunspot cycle.

What causes the intensity of light to be lower in the winter in locations other than the equator?

During winter, the Northern Hemisphere leans away from the sun, there are fewer daylight hours, and the sun hits us at an angle; this makes it appear lower in the sky. There is less heating because the angled sun's rays are “spread out” rather than direct.

How does the sun affect the seasons on Earth?

The earth's spin axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane. This is what causes the seasons. When the earth's axis points towards the sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When the earth's axis points away, winter can be expected.

Why does the Earth experience night and day at different times?

Day and night are due to the Earth rotating on its axis, not its orbiting around the sun. The term 'one day' is determined by the time the Earth takes to rotate once on its axis and includes both day time and night time.

Why is sunlight different in winter?

As the Sun is higher in the sky during summer, the sunlight reaching the surface is more concentrated. In winter, the Sun is lower in the sky, and sunlight is spread out over a larger area. During spring and autumn, both hemispheres receive about the same amount of sunlight.

How does the Earth's tilt affect light intensity?

As the book is tilted away from the flashlight, the light rays hitting the paper's surface become more slanted. Slanted light rays are weaker because they cover a larger area and heat the air and surface less than direct rays do. The same thing happens with Earth and the sun.

What is the intensity of sunlight on Earth?

about 1,360 watts per square meterAt Earth's average distance from the Sun (about 150 million kilometers), the average intensity of solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere directly facing the Sun is about 1,360 watts per square meter, according to measurements made by the most recent NASA satellite missions.

Which factors affect the intensity of sunlight on Earth?

The amount of sunlight reflected depends on the sun's angle, wavelength, and weather conditions. Of the light that reaches the water's surface, approximately 5-10% is reflected 1.

How does the intensity of light change for a location depending on the season?

The inverse square law shows that when light travels twice the distance its area grows four times as large and the brightness decreases by four times. The rate a light grows in area and decreases in brightness is related to the distance it travels from another point squared.

How does the Sun affect climate?

The amount of heat energy received at any location on the globe is a direct effect of Sun angle on climate, as the angle at which sunlight strikes Earth varies by location, time of day, and season due to Earth's orbit around the Sun and Earth's rotation around its tilted axis.

Which angle of light covers twice as much area with the same amount of light energy?

The one at a shallower angle covers twice as much area with the same amount of light energy. Figure 1 presents a case when sunlight shines on Earth at a lower angle (Sun closer to the horizon), the energy of the sunlight is spread over a larger area, and is therefore weaker than if the Sun is higher overhead and the energy is concentrated on ...

What is the difference between a 30° angle and a 90° angle?

Trigonometry tells us that the sine of a 30° angle is 1/2, whereas the sine of a 90° angle is 1. Therefore, the sunbeam hitting the ground at a 30° angle spreads the same amount of light over twice as much area (if we imagine the Sun shining from the south at noon, the north-south width doubles; the east-west width does not).

Is heat energy received from the Sun?

Heat energy is not received from the Sun. Rather, radiant energy is received and this results in change in energy level of receiving bodies in Earth's domain. Different materials have different properties for transmitting back received energy in the form of heat energy at different rates.

Answer

Answer:i don't know 6, 7, or 8 but 5 i believe so when the earth when it revolves around the sun like the further you are away from the sun the colder it's gonna be then in different areas of the world

Answer

5- As Earth revolves around the Sun, the hemisphere that is tilted towards or away from the Sun changes. The hemisphere facing the Sun would be brighter and warmer as compared the hemisphere not facing the sun and sun light is not able to reach directly.

New questions in Biology

NEED HELP ASAP!!!!! 50 POINTS!! Read the statement. People who were vaccinated for the flu last year do not need to be vaccinated again this year. W …

Science Project help. ASAP

Which degree of tilt produced light similar to what North America experiences in summer? Explain your answer.

Re: Science Project help. ASAP

We are not able to provide answers for homework questions or projects that you need to do to gather and analyze your own data.

How to explain the Earth's orbit around the Sun?

Explain that as Earth orbits the sun, it rotates on its axis, and the axis is always pointed in the same direction. Have the students representing the Earth and sun in each group stand approximately 5-7 feet apart.

Why does the Earth's tilt change?

The changing position of the Earth’s tilt is the reason for the differences in temperature and length of daylight that distinguish the seasons. When the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth is leaning toward the sun, it receives direct sunlight.

What hemisphere is the floor in?

Ask students to imagine that the floor is the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. In the winter, the North Pole of the Earth is pointing away from the sun, so the sun appears farther south in the sky to us. Have the student hold the sun closer to the floor.

What happens when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun?

When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, you experience summer. When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from ...

Why do we have seasons on other planets?

Remind students that the two reasons seasons occur are the tilt of a planet’s axis and its orbit around the sun.

Why are the seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres reversed?

Because of the Earth’s approximately 23.5º tilt, the seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are reversed, about six months apart from each other. Prior Knowledge. the Earth orbits the sun and rotates on its own axis. Recommended Prior Activities.

Does the Earth always lean to the side?

In other words, our planet never stands upright—it is always leaning to the side. The direction of this lean does not change significantly over the course of a year, but it does shift gradually over millennia. As the Earth travels along its orbit, it sometimes leans toward the sun and sometimes away from the sun.

When does the Sun reach its highest point?

Over the course of a year, the Sun reaches its highest point on June 21 for anyone living north of the Tropic of Cancer. The maximum air temperature for this area is delayed until July. The reason is similar to the daily changes. The ground needs time to absorb the energy and to reradiate it to the atmosphere.

What is the highest point of the Sun's path in the sky?

The highest point of the Sun's path in the sky is the time when the maximum amount (intensity) of insolation for the day reaches a location. The warmest part of the day is usually a few hours later. This is because the land absorbs the sunlight and reradiates it out to the atmosphere, warming it up. We measure the air temperature ...

Biology (Answers)

Biology Unit 8 Lesson 11 (Answers) 1. What is the term used to describe homologous chromosomes exchanging genetic material during meiosis? Answer - Crossing-over 2. When scientists analyzed the variations of color expressed in

English

Which of the following is a theme in a literary text? (1 point) the most important plot events** the most important character a lesson about life Which of the following is the main idea of a story? (1 point) the point of view of the

science

Analyzing Gravitational Data Quick Check answers all are correct 1) Which has more air resistance: a flat sheet of paper or a paper airplane? a sheet of paper because it had a wider area** 2) A shoe and a shirt are released from

Math (Stats)

What is the difference between class limits and class boundaries? A) Class limits are the numbers that separate classes without forming gaps between them. Class boundaries are the least and greatest numbers that can belong to the

Education and technology

1. What function would you use to find the mean in a microsoft (R) excel document a=ROUND b=AVERAGE c=SUM d=HYPERLINK 2. What is the first thing you should do to find the mean and range of data? a=put the numbers in order from

science

which of the following distinguishes living things from nonliving things? A. living things are made up of cells; nonliving things are not** B. living things are made up of atoms; nonliving things are not C. living things are made

technoligy

1. What function would you use to find the mean in a microsoft (R) excel document a=ROUND b=AVERAGE c=SUM d=HYPERLINK 2. What is the first thing you should do to find the mean and range of data? a=put the numbers in order from