Question

the total amount of sunlight approaching earth is nearly constant throughout the year. but because earth is round, sunlight strikes different parts of earth at different angles. the angle at which sunlight strikes earths surface determines how intense the light is.

in the model below, the yellow arrows represent sunlight approaching and striking earth. the sunlight is most intense where it strikes earth directly, at a 90° angle. this point is labeled below. locations on earth that are near this point experience sunlight of greater intensity than locations that are farther away.

image of earth with sunlight arrows and 90-degree angle label

complete the sentence.

light strikes earth with the greatest intensity at ______.

options: the equator, the north pole, the south pole

Explanation:

The text states that sunlight is most intense where it strikes Earth directly at a \(90^{\circ}\) angle. The equator is the region on Earth that most commonly receives sunlight at a near - \(90^{\circ}\) angle compared to the North Pole and South Pole, which receive sunlight at much more oblique angles.

Answer:

the equator