Have you ever wondered

...why it is so cold at the North and South Pole? When you learned about the different climate regions of the Earth you learned that they are categorized based on the average weather in the region. In this section you will learn about how the angle of the sun has an impact on the average weather (climate) in that region.

Angled Sunlight Experiment

Question

• To what extent does the angle of light affect the light that strikes a surface?

Hypothesis

• What do you think will happen to the light that is hitting a surface as a result of changing the angle of the surface?
  • Tell what you think and why you think that way.

Materials

• flashlight
• 4 pc graph paper
• clipboard
• protractor
• stack of books

Procedure

1. Read the procedures and then make a hypothesis about the above question.
2. Gather your materials.
3. Label the four sheets of graph paper 90°, 110°, 130°, and 150°. (see image below)
4. Attach the 90° sheet to the clipboard.
5. Place the clipboard on its edge and, using the protractor, make sure that the clipboard is tiltled at a 90° angle to the surface of the table. Devise a method to keep the board at that angle.
6. Devise a method to hold the flashlight so that it is shining directly on the graph paper and that the flashlight and clipboard remain motionless. The flashlight should be parallel to the table and approximately 10 cm away from the clipboard. (see image below)
7. Mark the area covered by the light. Describe the brightness of the light striking the paper.
8. Without moving the flashlight, remove the graph paper and replace it with piece labeled 110°. Change the angle of the clipboard to 110°. (you may need to adjust the piece of paper so the light strikes it fully)
9. Once again, mark the area covered by the light. and describe the brightness of the light striking the paper. Compare the brightness to the previous angle.
10. Repeat the previous steps with the 130° and 150° graph paper.

Analysis

1. Estimate the number of squares covered by the light on each of the trials. Which one covered the most area?
2. Copy the results from the graph paper into your own notebook so you can refer to it later.
3. Click here to view a Seasons and Ecliptic Simulator.
4. Read pg 84 in the Weather Watch Text.

Success Criteria

• I can describe how unequal heating of the earth affects a region's climate such as warm temperatures at the Equator and cold temperatures at the North and South Poles.

Claim, Evidence, Reasoning

• I can create a scientific argument using a claim, evidence, and reasoning.