Question

on a cloudless day, what happens to most of the visible light headed toward earth? view available hint(s) it is reflected by earths atmosphere. it is absorbed and reemitted by gases in earths atmosphere. it is completely reflected by earths surface. it reaches earths surface, where some is reflected and some is absorbed. submit part b on a day with complete cloud cover, what happens to the visible light headed toward earth? view available hint(s) the clouds reflect much of it back to space, though some still reaches the surface. it is absorbed by the clouds, which causes the clouds to heat up. it reaches the surface just as it does on a cloudless day. submit

Explanation:

For Part A: On cloudless days, most visible light penetrates the atmosphere to reach Earth's surface, where part is reflected (e.g., by snow) and part is absorbed (e.g., by dark surfaces).
For Part B: Complete cloud cover reflects much visible light back to space, but some still passes through cloud gaps or thin layers to reach the surface.

Answer:

Part A: It reaches Earth's surface, where some is reflected and some is absorbed.
Part B: The clouds reflect much of it back to space, though some still reaches the surface.