Name ___________________
Insolation and Time of Day
Base your answers to questions 1 through 3 on
the diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents four apparent
paths of the Sun, labeled A, B, C, and D, observed in Jamestown, New York. The June 21 and
December 21 sunrise and sunset positions are indicated. Letter S identifies the Sun's position on path
C at a specific time of day. Compass directions are indicated along the horizon.
1. When the Sun appears to travel along path D at Jamestown, which latitude on Earth receives the most
direct rays from the Sun?
A) 42° N
B) 23.5° N
C) 0°
D) 23.5° S
2. At what time of day is the Sun at position S?
A) 6 a.m.
B) 9 a.m.
C) 3 p.m.
D) 6 p.m.
3. The greatest duration of insolation in Jamestown occurs when the Sun appears to travel along path
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
4. Which graph best shows the length of a shadow cast from sunrise to sunset by a flagpole in New York
State?
A)
B)
C)
D)
5. In which diagram is the observer experiencing the greatest intensity of insolation?
A)
B)
C)
D)
6. Which graph best shows the general relationship between the altitude of the noontime Sun and the
intensity of insolation received at a location?
A)
B)
C)
D)
7. Base your answer to the following question on the experiment description and diagram below.
A student was interested in how the angle of insolation affects absorption of radiation. The
student took three black metal plates, each containing a built-in thermometer, and placed them at
the same distance from three identical lamps. The plates were tilted so that the light from the lamps
created three different angles of incidence with the center of the plates, as shown in the diagram.
The starting temperatures of the plates were recorded. The lamps were turned on for 10 minutes.
Then the final temperatures were recorded.
Explain why the metal plate at a 90° angle of incidence had a final temperature higher than the other
two plates.
8. Base your answer to the following question on the table and map below. The table shows the duration
of insolation, in hours, at Barrow, Alaska, on the twentieth day of each month during 2008. The map
shows the location of Barrow at 71° N 156.5° W.
On what date was the noontime Sun highest in the sky at Barrow?
9. The diagram below shows the noontime shadow cast by a vertical post located in New York State.
Which letter indicates a location west of the post?
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
10. The coldest climates on Earth are located at or near the poles primarily because Earth’s polar regions
A)
B)
C)
D)
receive mostly low-angle insolation
receive less total yearly hours of daylight
absorb the greatest amount of insolation
are usually farthest from the Sun
Base your answers to questions 11 and 12 on "
the graph below, which shows the amount of insolation during one year at four different latitudes on
Earth's surface.
"
11. Why is less insolation received at the equator in June than in March or September?
A)
B)
C)
D)
The daylight period is longest at the equator in June.
Winds blow insolation away from the equator in June.
The Sun’s vertical rays are north of the equator in June.
Thick clouds block the Sun’s vertical rays at the equator in June.
12. This graph shows that insolation varies with
A) latitude and time of day
C) longitude and time of day
B) latitude and time of year
D) longitude and time of year