Chapter 30, Problem 7TE

How do the total number of hours of sunlight in a year compare for equatorial regions and polar regions of Earth? Why are polar regions so much colder?

To determine

Thecomparison of the total number of hours of sunlight in a year for equatorial regions and Polar regions of earth and the reason that polar regions are so much colder.

Answer to Problem 7TE

The total number of hours of sunlight in a year for the equatorial region is very much greater than that for the polar region. The polar regions are so much colder because less amount of sunlight arrives their which leads to less solar radiation.

Explanation of Solution

During the revolution of the Earth around the sun, the equator receives a consistent amount of sunlight, but the polar regions get a varying amount of sunlight because the Earth tilts axially during the revolution. So due to this, the presence of heat energy in the equator region is large, and they get a large number of hours of sunlight in a year as compared to polar regions.

Due to the axial tilt of the earth, the less amount of heat energy present in the polar regions gives less amount of solar radiation. So this less solar radiation makes the polar regions colder.

Conclusion:

Therefore, the total number of hours of sunlight in a year for the equatorial region is very much greater than the total number of hours of sunlight in a year for the polar region. The polar regions are so much colder because less amount of sunlight arrives their which leads to less solar radiation.