The sun's rays are most concentrated at the equator and least concentrated at the poles.What is the main reason for this difference in solar intensity?
A) Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours.
B) The equator is farther from the sun than the poles are.
C) Day length is always shorter at the poles than it is at the equator.
D) Earth's land masses are clustered closer to the equator than to the poles.
E) The sun strikes Earth directly near the equator and at an angle near the poles.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sun's rays strike Earth directly near the equator where they are most concentrated, and at an angle near the poles where they are least concentrated. This is because the curvature of the Earth means that the angle of incidence of the sun's rays varies depending on the latitude, with the rays hitting the equator at a 90-degree angle and the poles at a much shallower angle.

The Sun's Rays Are Most Concentrated at the Equator and Least