Original Project
Weather and Climate II: Seasonal Differences
The seasonal changes in air temperature are caused by changes in the intensity of energy from sunlight and chang…
Item CL130002: A change in the amount of energy transferred from the sun to a town can explain the decrease in air temperature in the town in August if the amount of energy transferred to the town from the sun becomes smaller than the amount of energy being transferred away from the town.
The average daily temperature at a town begins to decrease in August. Could a change in the amount of energy transferred from the sun to the town explain the decrease in air temperature?
- Yes, the amount of energy transferred to the town from the sun begins to decrease in August, which makes the air temperature at the town decrease.
- Yes, but only if the amount of energy transferred to the town from the sun becomes smaller than the amount of energy being transferred away from the town.
- No, the amount of energy stored in the ground at the town must be starting to decrease, and this causes the temperature of the air above it to decrease.
- No, a change in the amount of energy transferred to the town has no effect on the air temperature at the town.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 656 | 2206 | 30% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 350 | 1168 | 30% |
| 9–12 | 303 | 1028 | 29% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 317 | 1096 | 29% |
| Female | 317 | 1030 | 31% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 579 | 1907 | 30% |
| Other | 54 | 215 | 25% |
- NRC Framework
- ESS2.D To maintain any average temperature over time, energy inputs from the sun and from radioactive decay in Earth’s interior must be balanced by energy loss due to radiation from the upper atmosphere.
- PS3.B Even when a system is isolated (such as Earth in space), energy is continually being transferred into and out of it by radiation.