Environmental Studies ยท Physics

Solar Radiation and Energy

926 Questions

Enhance your general science knowledge with these questions on solar radiation and energy. The topics span solar thermal power plants, photovoltaic devices, and the sun's energy output. This material is useful for environmental studies and physics.

Solar energy conversionSun luminosity and compositionAtmospheric reflectionSolar thermal technology

Solar Radiation and Energy Questions

Multiple choice

New research suggests a chemical called capsaicin makes solar panels more efficient. What else does this chemical do?

  1. Makes chili peppers spicy

  2. Makes tomatoes red

  3. Makes cucumbers grow bigger

  4. Adds color to paint
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Capsaicin is the active chemical compound found in chili peppers that provides their characteristic spicy or pungent sensation. Recent research has explored its potential to improve the performance of perovskite solar cells.

Multiple choice

What is a limitation of solar energy?

  1. Will always be there during our lifetime

  2. expensive technology

  3. does not produce greenhouse gases

  4. is free
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

While solar energy is abundant, the technology required to capture and convert it into electricity is currently expensive to manufacture and install compared to traditional energy sources.

Multiple choice biology global environmental change causes of greenhouse effect greenhouse effect pollution and its effects

Green house effect is due to

  1. X-rays

  2. UV rays

  3. Green rays

  4. Infra-red rays
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The greenhouse effect is the trapping of the infra-red rays that are reflected by the earth's surface by the atmospheric gases. These gases like carbon dioxide, methane, CFCs, sulphur tetrafluoride etc. are named as greenhouse gases. As a result, these rays are not reflected back to space and increase the overall temperature of the earth, called global warming. The burning of fossil fuels and deforestation are the main anthropogenic causes of the accumulation of greenhouse gases.

So, the correct answer is 'Infra-red rays'

Multiple choice physics energy production perfectly black body black-body radiation black body radiation

Which of the following is an example of a black body radiation?

  1. The cooling of earth at night

  2. Solar radiations

  3. Heat currents from a black surface

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A,B Correct answer
Explanation
The Earth is heated by the flux of energy it receives from sun and cools down by emitting infrared radiations to space. So we can say that cooling of earth is example of the black body radiation.
Sun has no solid surface, any radiation that hits the Sun is scattered and absorbed until it is completely lost. This makes the Sun very close to black bodies as far as absorption is concerned and as a result it would be reasonable to suppose that it is black body radiators.
So, the radiation of sun is the black body radiation.
Multiple choice

The sun's energy drives which of the following processes?

  1. earthquakes

  2. volcanic eruptions

  3. mountain building

  4. weather and ocean circulation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The sun provides the external energy that drives atmospheric and surface processes, including weather patterns and ocean currents. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building are driven by internal heat from Earth's core.

Multiple choice

What are the two sources of energy for the Earth system?

  1. lightning and the sun

  2. the sun and Earth's interior

  3. the sun and wind

  4. Earth's interior and the winds
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Earth system is powered by two main sources: the sun (external energy for surface processes) and Earth's interior (internal energy for geological processes).

Multiple choice

Energy from the Sun heats the surface and this heats the air when...

  1. when the air heats up

  2. when the ozone is thinning

  3. molecules to bump into each other

  4. air rises and then falls
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Heat transfer from the surface to the air occurs through conduction, where the kinetic energy of surface molecules is transferred to air molecules through direct contact, causing them to bump into each other.

Multiple choice

Energy reaches the Earth from the Sun by radiation because radiation...

  1. doesn't need to travel through air

  2. will heat the air as it travels

  3. causes molecules to bump into each other

  4. causes air to rise and fall
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Radiation is the transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves. Unlike conduction or convection, radiation does not require a medium (like air or water) to travel through, allowing it to move through the vacuum of space.

Multiple choice

What is the sun mainly made from?

  1. Gas

  2. Liquid lava

  3. Rock

  4. Molten iron
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The sun is a star composed primarily of hydrogen and helium gas. Nuclear fusion in its core converts hydrogen into helium, releasing vast amounts of energy.

Multiple choice

How does the Sun produce energy?

  1. By burning coal

  2. By nuclear fusion

  3. By nuclear fission

  4. With an electric heater
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Sun produces energy through nuclear fusion, where hydrogen atoms fuse together to form helium. This process releases a massive amount of energy in the form of light and heat.