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Because of the tilt of the Earth's axis, the poles point either toward or away from the sun, in winter and summer, while the tilt is parallel to the orbit and doesn't affect the incident sunlight only at the spring and autumn equinox. So there is quite a large variation in the amount of solar energy reaching the poles at different seasons of the year. If you were to graph it, the shape would be a sine curve.

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Which three things determine the amount of solar energy reaching places on earth?

The primary factors that determine the amount of solar energy reaching places on Earth are: the angle of sunlight hitting the Earth's surface (affected by time of day and latitude), the length of daylight hours (affected by season and location), and atmospheric conditions (cloud cover, pollution) which can absorb or scatter sunlight.


Which latitude receives the least amount of solar energy?

The poles, which are located at approximately 90 degrees latitude, receive the least amount of solar energy due to their extreme tilt away from the sun during certain times of the year. This results in prolonged periods of darkness and very low sun angles, leading to reduced solar energy reaching these regions.


Changes in the amount of energy the sun sends out may be related to what?

Changes in the amount of energy the sun sends out may be related to solar activity cycles, such as sunspot cycles, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections. These cycles can impact the amount of solar radiation reaching Earth and can influence our climate and space weather.


What are the three things controlling the amount of solar energy reaching Earth?

The amount of solar energy reaching Earth is primarily controlled by three factors: the Earth's distance from the Sun, which varies due to its elliptical orbit; the Sun's output, which can fluctuate due to solar cycles; and the Earth's atmosphere, which can absorb or reflect solar radiation. Additionally, clouds and aerosols can influence how much solar energy reaches the surface. Together, these factors determine the overall solar radiation received by the planet.


How does the length of day effect the amount of energy reaching the Earth?

The earth's prbit around the sun is not circular, it is an ellipse. the earth is further from the sun at the ends of the ellipse than when it is in the middle. The length of day is a local effect, based on the angling of the earth's axis towards the sun. When the days are longest in the northern hemisphere they are shortest in the southern hemisphere, and vice versa. These days occur when the earth is at its orbit's greatest distance from the sun. When the days are closest to being as long as the nights, the earth is at its orbit's shortest distance from the sun. When the earth is nearest the sun it receives a greater amount of energy than when it is further away.

Related Questions

What factors contribute to the decrease in the amount of energy reaching earth's surface?

There are several factors that contribute to the decrease in the amount of energy reaching earth's surface. These are: reflection, scattering, absorption by gases and aerosols in the atmosphere, and cloud cover.


What is the term used to describe the amount of energy released in an earthquake?

The energy is known in Joules and it can be compared to the explosive energy of TNT.


What terms describe the amount of electrical energy used in a certain amount of time?

Power and energy consumption are terms used to describe the amount of electrical energy used in a specific period of time. Power is the rate at which energy is consumed, typically measured in watts, while energy consumption is the total amount of energy used over a given time, measured in watt-hours or kilowatt-hours.


What term is used to describe the amount of motion that an object possess?

The term used to describe the amount of motion that an object possesses is "kinetic energy." This energy is associated with the motion of an object relative to a reference point.


What unit is used to describe the amount of electrical energy provided by an energy source?

The unit used to describe the amount of electrical energy provided by an energy source is the kilowatt-hour (kWh). It represents the amount of energy consumed or produced by using 1 kilowatt of power for 1 hour.


What word is used to describe the amount of energy released by an earthquake?

The word used to describe the amount of energy released by an earthquake is "magnitude." This is typically measured using the Richter scale or the moment magnitude scale.


Watt hour efficiency?

The Watt hour efficiency is the ratio of the amount of energy available during the discharge of an accumulator to the amount of energy put in during charge.


Which measurement unit describes tell amount of energy food contains?

Any unit of energy can be used to describe the energy content of food.


What is a common scale used to describe an earthquakes amount of energy released?

The Richter Scale


Amount of energy released during an earthquake?

magnitude


What would happen to the amount of energy received from the Sun if the rotation of the Earth changed?

Nothing. Provided the earth remains in the same orbit, then a change of rotation would not change the amount of solar energy reaching the earth.


What term is used to describe the minimum energy needed by particles when they collide?

State the term used to describe the minimum amount of energy required for two colliding particles to rate