Science Assessment

The photographs below show the sun at two different positions in the sky above a lake. The photograph on the left shows the sun high in the sky, and the picture on the right shows the sun lower in the sky. In both situations, nothing blocks the sunlight from reaching the lake.

Would sunlight transfer different amounts of energy to the lake when the sun is at different positions in the sky?

1. Yes, the sunlight transfers more energy when it is higher in the sky because the angle at which sunlight hits the lake is greater when it is higher in the sky.
2. Yes, the sunlight transfers more energy when it is lower in the sky because the angle at which the sunlight hits the lake is smaller when it is lower in the sky.
3. No, how much energy the sunlight transfers to the lake does not depend on where the sun is in the sky because the angle at which sunlight hits the lake does not affect the amount of energy transferred.
4. No, because sunlight cannot transfer energy to a lake