Four locations on Earth receive sunlight at different angles. At which of the following angles will the intensity of sunlight received be the greatest?

90° at the equator
75° in the tropics
50° in North America
25° in the Arctic Circle

1 answer

The intensity of sunlight received at a location on Earth is greatest when the sunlight strikes the surface at a perpendicular angle (90°). This is because sunlight concentrated over a smaller surface area results in higher intensity.

Among the angles provided:

  • 90° at the equator represents sunlight striking directly overhead.
  • 75° in the tropics is still a fairly high angle.
  • 50° in North America and 25° in the Arctic Circle represent more oblique angles, resulting in lower intensity of sunlight.

Therefore, the angle where the intensity of sunlight received will be the greatest is 90° at the equator.