Original Project
Weather and Climate II: Seasonal Differences
The earth’s spherical shape causes differences in the intensity of sunlight and thus the amount of energy from…
Item CL081002: Sunlight hits different places on the earth's surface at different angles because the earth is spherical.
Which of the following statements best explains why sunlight would reach one place at a 75° angle and another place at a 50° angle at a single moment in time?
- Sunlight travels from the sun to the earth along paths that are curved lines, which causes the angles to be different.
- Sunlight radiates from the sun in all different directions, which causes the angles to be different.
- Sunlight travels from the sun to the earth along straight, nearly parallel lines but the spherical shape of the earth causes the angles to be different.
- Sunlight travels from the sun to the earth along straight, nearly parallel lines but the tilt of the earth’s axis causes the angles to be different.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 266 | 1028 | 26% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 137 | 551 | 25% |
| 9–12 | 128 | 470 | 27% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 137 | 514 | 27% |
| Female | 120 | 486 | 25% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 229 | 900 | 25% |
| Other | 26 | 96 | 27% |
- Notes
- The relationship between Earth's shape and the sun's angle of incidence is not addressed in NGSS.