Sunbeams and Angles: The Solar Intensity Quiz

If solar intensity depends on the angle of sunlight, and if sunlight hits the Equator most directly (at a 90-degree angle), then the energy is concentrated in a smaller area; therefore, the Equator has the highest solar intensity.

If moving toward the poles causes the Earth's surface to curve away from the sun, then the sunlight hits at a lower, more slanted angle; if the angle is slanted, then the same amount of energy spreads over a larger area, making it less intense.

If the Earth is a sphere, then sunlight hits the poles at a very shallow angle; if the angle is shallow, then the solar energy is "diluted" or spread out; therefore, less heat is absorbed per square meter, resulting in colder temperatures.

If we are describing the incoming solar radiation hitting a surface, then we use the term "insolation"; if we measure the specific direction of that hit, then it is the angle of insolation.

If a beam hits a surface directly at 90 degrees, then it does not tilt or stretch; if it does not stretch, then all the energy stays packed in the smallest possible footprint; therefore, it is highly concentrated.

If "low latitude" refers to the Equator (0 degrees) and "high latitude" refers to the poles (90 degrees), and if direct sunlight hits the Equator, then high latitudes must receive indirect or slanted sunlight.

If latitude changes, the angle of the sun changes; if the angle is low, the light must pass through more atmosphere; if these factors change how much energy reaches the ground, then A, B, and C are correct.

If latitude measures the distance north or south of the center-line of the Earth, and if the Equator is that center-line, then its measurement must be 0 degrees.

If the Earth's surface curves away from the sun toward the poles, then an observer at the poles must look closer to the horizon to see the sun; if they look closer to the horizon, then the sun appears lower in the sky.

If sunlight hits at a steep slant (low angle), then it must cut across a wider section of the atmosphere before reaching the ground; if the path is longer, then more energy is scattered or absorbed by the air before it hits the surface.

If "intensity" describes the strength or concentration of something, and if "solar" refers to the sun, then solar intensity is the measure of how much sun power hits a square meter of ground.

If the Earth is tilted, then different latitudes receive different solar intensities at different times of the year; if the Earth orbits the sun, then these positions change; therefore, the tilt and orbit cause the seasons.

If the region between 23.5 degrees North and South receives the most intense sunlight year-round, then it stays warm; if this region is defined by these lines of latitude, then it is known as the Tropics.

If 80 degrees North is a very high latitude near the North pole, and if high latitudes receive very low solar intensity, then the surface doesn't get enough heat to stay warm; therefore, it is cold and icy.

If a flashlight beam is tilted, the circle of light grows larger and dimmer; if the same logic applies to the sun hitting the curved Earth, then slanted light is spread out and less intense.

If consistent intensity requires the sun to stay relatively high in the sky all year, and if the sun stays most direct near the center of the Earth, then latitudes near the Equator (0 and 10 degrees) are the most consistent.

If the total energy in a beam stays the same but the area it covers doubles, then each square inch gets only half the energy; if each part gets less, then the intensity per unit area has decreased.

If the Equator receives direct 90-degree sunlight and the Pole receives slanted sunlight, and if direct light is more concentrated, then the concentration is higher at the Equator.

If "direct" means hitting head-on, then "indirect" means hitting at an angle; if hitting at an angle causes the light to spread thin, then indirect sunlight is defined by a shallow angle and low intensity.

If the pole is tilted toward the sun, it gets constant light; however, if that light arrives at a very sharp slant, the intensity remains low; if the intensity is low, then the total heat absorbed is not enough to make it hot.