Lesson 2

Question 1

Insolation

Answer 1

• The amount of solar energy received by a region on the Earths surface

Question 2

What factors affect insolation?

Answer 2

1. Latitude (angle of incidence)
2. Number of daylight hours (angle of inclination)
3. Time of year (seasons)
4. Atmospheric gases and particles
5. Albedo

Question 3

Latitude

Answer 3

• Imaginary lines that run parallel to the equator

Question 4

What is the degree of latitude at the equator? What is the degree at the poles?

Answer 4

Equator - 0 degrees
North Pole - 90
South Pole - 90

Question 5

Angle of Incidence

Answer 5

• Angle of sun rays falling on Earths surface

Question 6

What is the angle of incidence at the equator?

Answer 6

Zero degrees
(As you move towards the poles the angle becomes greater)

Question 7

What happens when the angle of incidence are larger

Answer 7

Sun rays are spread over wider surface area and are less intense than at the equator

Question 8

Number of Daylight Hours

Answer 8

• The earth is not facing the sun perpendicularly and is slightly tilted

Question 9

Angle of Inclination

Answer 9

• Degree in which the Earths poles are tilted from its orbit
• Cause number of daylight hours in different regions

Question 10

What is Earths angle of inclination?

Answer 10

23.5 degrees

Question 11

Albedo

Answer 11

• measure of how much sunlight a surface reflects

Question 12

Climatographs

Answer 12

Summery of average temperate and precipitation from each month of a year at a given location

Question 13

Time of Year (seasons)

Answer 13

• In summer (June) North Pole is titled towards the sun and creates warmer weather
• In winter (december) opposite happens

Question 14

Solstice

Answer 14

• Points in Earth’s orbits where poles are the most tilted toward or away from the sun

Question 15

Equinox

Answer 15

• Points in Earth’s orbit where number of daylight hours is equal to number of hours of night
  (Sun rays hit directly at equator)

Question 16

Atmospheric Gases and Particles

Answer 16

• As soon as radiation from the sun reaches the Earths atmosphere it may be reflected or absorbed by particles of matter in atmosphere

Question 17

What does ozone absorb from sun

Answer 17

• Absorbs most ultraviolet radiation

Question 18

What does carbon dioxide/water/methane absorb from the sun

Answer 18

• Inferead radiation

Question 19

What do gases in the upper atmosphere absorb?

Answer 19

x rays and gamma rays

Question 20

What waves make it to Earth with very little absorption?

Answer 20

Visible light and radio waves

Question 21

Albedo

Answer 21

• Lighter colours reflect a higher percentage of light and have a high albedo
• Darker colours reflect a lower percentage of light and have a lower albedo

Question 22

Greenhouse gasss

Answer 22

• Gases that ckntribute to the greenhouse effect