How does the heat of the sun reach Earth? A. through the transfer of energy when particles collide. B. through hot material rising upward and cooling down which becomes denser. C. by transferring thermal energy through electromagnetic radiation. D. by completing a loop containing energy.

Question

How does the heat of the sun reach Earth?  A. through the transfer of energy when particles collide.  B. through hot material rising upward and cooling down which becomes denser.  C. by transferring thermal energy through electromagnetic radiation.  D. by completing a loop containing energy.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The correct answer is C. by transferring thermal energy through electromagnetic radiation.

The heat from the sun reaches the Earth primarily through the process of radiation, which does not require a medium like air or water to transfer energy. The sun emits energy in the form of electromagnetic waves, including visible light, infrared radiation, and ultraviolet radiation, which travel through the vacuum of space and warm the Earth when absorbed.