Solar Radiation

Energy

6.4

Vocabulary Words

Absorption: The process or action by which one thing absorbs or is
absorbed by another.

Electromagnetic wave: A form of energy that can travel through space.

Energy transformation: A change from one form of energy to another.

Greenhouse Effect: The process by which heat is trapped in the
atmosphere by water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases
that form a “blanket” around Earth.

Heat: The energy transferred from a warmer object to a cooler object.

Vocabulary Words

Infrared radiation: A form of energy with wavelengths that are longer
than visible light.

Radiation: The direct transfer of energy through empty space by
electromagnetic waves.

Reflection: the throwing back by a surface of light, heat, or sound without
absorbing it.

Solar energy: Energy from the sun.

Ultraviolet radiation: A form of energy with wavelengths that are shorter
than visible light.

Visible light: Light that can be seen by the human eye.

Wavelength: The horizontal distance between two wave crests.

Multiple Choice

The energy transferred from a warmer object to a cooler object

• Absorption

• Reflection

• Heat

• Radiation

Multiple Choice

The throwing back by a surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it.

• Absorption

• Reflection

• Heat

• Radiation

Multiple Choice

The direct transfer of energy through empty space by electromagnetic waves.

• Absorption

• Reflection

• Heat

• Radiation

Multiple Choice

The horizontal distance between two wave crests.

• Electromagnetic Wave

• Wavelength

• Crest

• Trough

Multiple Choice

 A form of energy that can travel through space.

• Electromagnetic Wave

• Wavelength

• Crest

• Trough

Multiple Choice

The process by which heat is trapped in the atmosphere by water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gasses that form a “blanket” around Earth.

• Radiation

• Gasses

• Greenhouse Effect

• Heat

Multiple Choice

A change from one form of energy to another.

• Radiation

• Energy Transformation

• Heat

• Reflection

The Sun

•The sun’s energy comes from its core. Within the sun’s core,
hydrogen is converted into helium in a process called nuclear
fusion.

•This fusion releases a tremendous amount of energy.

•The sun has a lot of gravitational pull, most of the energy cycles
back into the sun, but some of the energy moves to the sun's
surface, where it is released into space

•From space it travels to the Earth

•https://google.discoveryeducation.com/learn/play
er/d275a571-17e7-4a40-9b42-418111eeb5e3

Where does most of Earth’s
Energy come from?

•Most of Earth’s energy
comes from the sun in a
process called solar
radiation.

•Radiation is a process
where energy is given off
by an object.

•Solar Radiation occurs in
different wavelengths.

WHAT IS SOLAR RADIATION

•Sun’s energy that travels through space

•Comes in 3 forms

1. Infrared

2. Ultraviolet

3. Visible Light

Electromagnetic Spectrum

•
The complete range of all types
of radiation that has both
electric and magnetic fields
and travels in waves.

•These waves are measured in
nanometers (nm).

•Humans can only see waves
that range from 380 to 700 nm

•We can’t see waves that occur
above or below that because
they either are moving with too
much energy or not enough.

•A wavelength is the distance
between two wave crests

INFRARED RADIATION

• Has the ability to go

around objects due to
long wavelength

• Low energy; long

wavelength

• The long wavelength

is what makes infrared
light invisible to the
human eye.

• https://education.nati

onalgeographic.org/r
esource/infrared-visio
n

ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

• Feels like heat to the human body

• High energy; short waves

• Due to the high energy of the waves they are

unable to be seen with the human eye.

• Examples: Emitted through fluorescent light

bulbs, cause of sunburns

VISIBLE LIGHT

• Third form of solar radiation

• Light that we can see in color form

– Red, Blue, Yellow are the primary colors. Every other

color is a secondary color, or a blending of the primary
colors.

– White is the absorption of all colors; black is the

absence of all colors

– https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/clothing/

does-white-clothing-keep-you-cooler

Multiple Choice

Which type of radiation has the longest wavelength

• Ultraviolet Radiation

• Infrared Radiation

• Visible Light

Multiple Choice

Which type of radiation causes skin cancer, and has a short wavelength

• Ultraviolet Radiation

• Infrared Radiation

• Visible Light

Multiple Select

Select the two types of solar radiation that are not visible to the human eye

• Ultraviolet Radiation

• Infrared Radiation

• Visible Light

• Gamma Rays

Multiple Select

Which type of radiation has a wavelength that occurs between 380 to 700nm

• Ultraviolet Radiation

• Infrared Radiation

• Visible Light

• Gamma Rays

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE
EARTH’S ENERGY BUDGET?

All three forms are emitted from the Sun and
travel to heat the Earth.

Much like a family needs a budget because of
expenses, the Earth needs to maintain its
temperature to prevent extreme heating and
cooling. The is done through the greenhouse effect.

Earth’s Energy
Budget

The energy budget refers to keeping
track of how much solar energy enters
and exits the atmosphere.
The energy coming into Earth has to
be in balance with the energy exiting
Earth.
If the energy is not balanced Earth’s
climate will be affected.

WHAT IS THE GREENHOUSE
EFFECT?

• Trapping of heat in the

Earth’s atmosphere by
tiny gases such as water
vapor.

• Doesn’t allow heat to be

reflected.

• Acts like a blanket to

keep the Earth at a
comfy 15°C

• Only a small amount of

heat from the Sun can be
trapped in the
atmosphere.

WHAT IS THE GREENHOUSE GAS
EFFECT?
• Due to addition of gases in the atmosphere added

through pollution they trap more heat causing the Earth to
absorb more heat

• This eventually leads to climate change

Radiation Reflection &
Absorption

•

Absorption: The process or action by which one
thing absorbs or is absorbed by another.

•

Reflection: the throwing back by a surface of light,
heat, or sound without absorbing it.

•

About 30% (1⁄3) of solar energy is reflected back
into outer space.

•

About 50% (1⁄2) of solar energy is absorbed by
Earth’s surface.

•

About 20% (1⁄5) of solar energy is absorbed in
Earth’s

•

atmosphere.

Earth’s Energy Budget

Multiple Choice

30 % of the small amount of energy we receive from the sun is _________

• Reflected back to space by the cloud's and Earth's surface

• Absorped by Earth's surface

• Absorbed by Earth's atmosphere

Multiple Choice

50 % of the small amount of energy we receive from the sun is _________

• Reflected back to space

• Absorped by Earth's surface

• Absorbed by Earth's atmosphere

Multiple Choice

20 % of the small amount of energy we receive from the sun is _________

• Reflected back to space

• Absorped by Earth's surface

• Absorbed by Earth's atmosphere

Radiation and Earth’s
Processes

•The Earth is heated unequally since it is a sphere and orbits in an
elliptical pattern. This means that some parts of the Earth are
closer to the Sun than others.

•This causes our weather patterns and seasons (The Earth rotates around
the sun, and that is what causes seasons. The side facing the sun is
experiencing summer, while the side facing away experiences winter.)

• Incoming solar radiation is equal to the energy that leaves Earth’s

•atmosphere.

•The radiation we receive from the sun is responsible for:

- the motion of the air in the atmosphere (wind)

- the heating of Earth’s troposphere

-the motion of Earth’s hydrosphere (ocean tides and currents)

- many other essential processes

Wind

•Warm air rises above cool air, because the molecules are not as
tightly packed together causing the warm air to be less dense
than cool air.

•We learned earlier that Earth is heated unequally due to Earth’s
rotation

•Warmer parts of the earth have warmer air, the air in these parts
will start to rise.

• This causes the cooler air from the surrounding areas to come in
to replace the warmer air that is rising.

•This causes the wind that you feel on a breezy day.

Solar Radiation and Wind

Solar Radiation and the
Ocean

•Just like the motion of air, the warmer ocean waters begin to rise
in a particular area

• The cooler ocean waters from a different area will move in to
replace the warmer ocean waters

•This creates our ocean currents

Multiple Choice

Warm air ________ cool air, and eventually the cool air comes in to replace the warm air. This what creates wind on a breezy day.

• rises

• sinks

• is no different than

Multiple Choice

What causes the Earth to have different seasons?

• The sun isn't powerful enough for there to be Summer year around

• The distance of the Earth from the Sun

• The tilt of the Earth’s axis and the revolution of the Earth around the Sun

• The revolution of the Earth around the Sun

Multiple Choice

Cool water is ___________ than warm air, because the particles are more tightly packed together than in warm water.

• More dense than

• Less dense than

• There is no difference

demonstration video of hot air rises

https://youtu.be/t
R_Oc2Ky2vA

​Review from Discovery Education Articles

Multiple Choice

Hydrogen atoms collide at rapid speed in Sun's core, which creates Helium. This process emits a lot of energy and is called ___________

• Nuclear Fusion

• Nuclear Fission

• Solar Radiation

• Plasma

Multiple Choice

The sun provides energy to the Earth by _________

• Energy in fossil fuels

• Allowing plants to photosynthesize and make glucose (sugar)

• Creating wind and ocean tides

• Warming the Earth

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

Energy moves from the sun's core to the _________ zone

• Radiation

• Convection

Multiple Choice

The sun is the ___________ object in our solar system, which gives it a large magnetic pull causing all other objects to orbit around it.

• Largest

• Smallest

• Medium-sized

• Most unimportant

Multiple Choice

_____________ is when jets of hot gas explode off the sun, and can sometimes have effects on Earth

• Sun spots

• Solar storms

• Solar flares

• Solar radiation

Multiple Choice

Solar flares usually only have effects at __________ where the magnetic field is weaker. Other parts of Earth deflect the charged particles that solar flares release.

• Earth's equator

• Earth's oceans

• Earth's poles

• North America

Multiple Choice

Solar flares cannot cause damage to electronics here on Earth

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The northern lights are caused by solar flares.

• True

• False