CLIMATE Simple Earth Climate Model

1
CLIMATESimple Earth Climate Model
Multiple Choice Questions
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Question
Climate Model

• The most important source of heat on Earth is
• Friction connected with the rotation of the Earth
• Solar radiation
• Chemical reactions in animals and plants
• Energy produced by human industry

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Answer
Climate Model

• The most important source of heat on Earth is
• Friction connected with the rotation of the Earth
• Solar radiation
• Chemical reactions in animals and plants
• Energy produced by human industry

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Explanation
Climate Model

• Solar energy is used by plants in chemical
  reactions.
• Animals obtain their energy by consuming plants.
• Chemical reactions involving biomass are used to
  produce much of the energy in human industry.

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Question
Climate Model

• Solar panel Bulb
• What will happen if I double the distance r?
• The power delivered by the solar cell will
• Double
• Increase 4 times
• Decrease 4 times
• Decrease 2 times
• Remain the same

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Answer
Climate Model

• Solar panel Bulb
• What will happen if I double the distance r?
• The power delivered by the solar cell will
• Double
• Increase 4 times
• Decrease 4 times
• Decrease 2 times
• Remain the same

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University of British Columbia
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Explanation
Climate Model

• Power as a function distance from a point source
• P a r -2

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Question
Climate Model

• Will it be realistic to average the incident
  solar power over the entire surface of the Earth
  in our simple Earth climate model?
• Yes.
• No.

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Answer
Climate Model

• Will it be realistic to average the incident
  solar power over the entire surface of the Earth
  in our simple Earth climate model?
• Yes.
• No.

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Explanation
Climate Model
Figure 1. Incident solar energy is averaged over
the globe. Rain transfers heat energy from the
tropics to the subtropics. The red line is energy
due to solar power, while the blue line is total
energy in the atmosphere.
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Question
Climate Model

• Solar panel Bulb
• What will happen when the panel is rotated so
  that light falls on the solar cell at an angle ?
  to the line perpendicular to the panel? The
  power delivered by the solar cell will
• Decrease
• Increase
• Remain the same

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University of British Columbia
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Answer
Climate Model

• Solar panel Bulb
• What will happen when the panel is rotated so
  that light falls on the solar cell at an angle ?
  to the line perpendicular to the panel? The
  power delivered by the solar cell will
• Decrease
• Increase
• Remain the same

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University of British Columbia
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Explanation
Climate Model

• Power as a function of the angle between the
  surface and the direction of the incoming
  radiation
• P a cos(?)

1 m
1 m
30
1 m
2 m
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Question
Climate Model

• We have seasons because
• In the Winter BC is farther from the Sun than in
  the Summer.
• In the Winter the Sun is lower in the sky so the
  angle in between the incoming radiation and
  ground is small
• The days are short so there is less solar
  radiation to heat the ground
• A and B are both important
• B and C are both important

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Answer
Climate Model

• We have seasons because
• In the Winter BC is farther from the Sun than in
  the Summer.
• In the Winter the Sun is lower in the sky so the
  angle in between the incoming radiation and
  ground is small
• The days are short so there is less solar
  radiation to heat the ground
• A and B are both important
• B and C are both important

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Explanation
Climate Model
Figure 2. The orientation of the Earth with
respect to the Sun at the equinox and solstice.
The tilt of Earths axis exposes more of the
Northern or Southern Hemispheres to the Sun,
depending on the time of year. This accounts for
our seasons. Note that the orbit of Earth is not
elliptical in shape, but rather that the circular
orbit is being viewed from the side. Image not
to scale.
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Explanation
Climate Model
Figure 3. Segments of solar radiation incident
on the Earths surface. Both rays of sunlight
have the same solar power. The solar power at
the pole, however, is dispersed over a larger
area than near the equator, and so the solar
intensity at the pole is less than the solar
intensity near the equator
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Explanation
Climate Model
Figure 4. Two identical flashlights shining on a
piece of paper at different angles. The length
of the rays of light are equal, and so the light
power on the paper is equal for both rays. The
area that the left flashlight shines on is larger
than the area that the right flashlight shines
on, so its light intensity is less than the light
intensity of the right flashlight.
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Bibliography
Climate Model

• Nave, C.R. Inverse Square Law, General (online).
  Georgia State University. http//hyperphysics.ph
  y-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/forces/isq.html May 13,
  3009.
• SOHO/Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT)
  consortium. Visual Tour of the Solar System The
  Sun (online). About.com. http//space.about.com/o
  d/solarsystem/ss/visualtourss.htm May 5, 2009.

Physics and Astronomy Outreach Program at the
University of British Columbia