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Pre-Test for Outcome 6: Insolation and Seasons
1. Why do we have such different seasons (summer, fall, winter, spring) in New York?
2. How do differences in specific heat capacity of water and land impact local climates?
3. How does latitude affect the number of daylight hours at a given location on Earth?
4. Which hot spot location on Earth’s surface usually receives the greatest intensity of insolation
on June 21?
(1) Iceland
(2) Hawaii
(3) Easter Island
(4) Yellowstone
5. Most of the electromagnetic energy radiated from Earth’s surface is in the form of
(1) ultraviolet rays
(2) infrared rays
(3) gamma rays
(4) X rays
6. In New York State, summer is warmer than winter because in summer New York State has
(1) fewer hours of daylight and receives low-angle insolation
(2) fewer hours of daylight and receives high-angle insolation
(3) more hours of daylight and receives low-angle insolation
(4) more hours of daylight and receives high-angle insolation
7. Monsoons develop as a result of
(1) large changes between the temperatures of a continent and neighboring oceans
(2) a continent and neighboring oceans having nearly the same temperatures
(3) air rising over Earth’s equatorial region
(4) air sinking over Earth’s polar regions
Base your answer to question 8 on the diagram and data table below. The diagram represents the
Sun’s apparent paths as viewed by an observer located at 50° N latitude on June 21 and March
21. The data table shows the Sun’s maximum altitude for the same two dates of the year. The
Sun’s maximum altitude for December 21 has been left blank.
8. Which statement best compares the intensity and angle of insolation at noon on March 21 and
June 21?
(1) The intensity and angle of insolation are greatest on March 21.
(2) The intensity and angle of insolation are greatest on June 21
(3) The intensity of insolation is greatest on June 21 and the angle of insolation is greatest on
March 21.
(4) The intensity of insolation is greatest on March 21 and the angle of insolation is greatest on
June 21.
Base your answer to this question on the diagram below, which represents the sky above an
observer in Elmira, New York. Angular distances above the horizon are indicated. The Sun’s
apparent path for December 21 is shown.
9. On what date of the year does the maximum duration of insolation usually occur at Elmira?
10. The graph below shows the general relationship between latitude and the duration of
insolation on a particular day of the year.
Which date is represented by the graph?
(1) March 2
(2) June 21
(3) September 21
(4) December 21
Base your answer to question 11 on the diagram below, which shows Earth as viewed from space
on December 21. Some latitudes are labeled.
11. State one factor, other than the tilt of Earth’s axis, that causes seasons to change on Earth.
Base your answer to the question on the diagram below. The diagram represents daytime and
nighttime on Earth. Point X is a location on Earth’s surface. Earth’s rotational surface velocity is
shown in miles per hour (mi/h) at specific latitudes.
12. Record, to the nearest hour, the duration of insolation at location X for one Earth rotation.
13. In the diagram below, a vertical post casts shadows A,
B, C, and D at four different times during the day. Which
shadow was cast when this location was receiving the
greatest intensity of insolation?
(1) shadow C
(2) shadow B
(3) shadow A
(4) shadow D
14. The diagram below shows four positions of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun. The
diagram indicates relative
positions of the Earth to the
Sun, but the diagram has not
been drawn to scale
In which position would
New York State receive the
maximum insolation?
(1) D
(2) C
(3) A
(4) B
Base your answer to question 15-17 on the experiment description and diagram below.
A student was interested in how the angle of insolation affects absorption of radiation. The
student took three black metal plates, each containing a built-in thermometer, and placed
them at the same distance from three identical lamps. The plates were tilted so that the
light from the lamps created three different angles of incidence with the center of the
plates, as shown in the diagram. The starting temperatures of the plates were recorded. The
lamps were turned on for 10 minutes. Then the final temperatures were recorded.
15. The metal plate at a 90° angle of incidence represents a location on Earth at solar noon on
March 21. What is the latitude of this location?
16. How would the final temperatures of the three metal plates be different if the experiment was
repeated using white metal plates? Explain why the white plates would have these final
temperatures.
17. Explain why the metal plate at a 90° angle of incidence had a final temperature higher than
the other two plates.
Positions 1, 2, and 3 in the diagram below represent the noon sun above the horizon on three
different days during the year, as viewed from Binghamton, New York.
18. At which position was the noon Sun on January 21, as
viewed from Binghamton?
(1) above position 1
(2) below position 3
(3) between position 1 and position 2
(4) between position 2 and position 3
19. The diagram below represents the apparent path of the
Sun as seen by an observer at 65°N on March 21.
The Sun’s position shown in the diagram was observed closest to which time of day?
(1) 9 a.m.
(3) 3 p.m.
(2) 11 a.m.
(4) 6 p.m.
20. Electromagnetic energy that reaches the Earth from the sun is called
(1) insolation
(2) conduction
(3) terrestrial radiation
(4) specific heat
Answer Key
4. (2)
5. (2)
6. (4)
7. (1)
8. (2)
9. Any date from June 19 to June 23 is acceptable.
10. (2)
11. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
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parallelism of Earth’s axis
the North Pole always points toward Polaris.
revolution of Earth
location of the Sun’s vertical ray
duration/intensity of insolation
angle of insolation
12. Answer: 12 h
13. (1)
14. (3)
15. Acceptable response include: 0° latitude or the equator.
16. Acceptable explanations include, but are not limited to:


Final temperatures:
o lower
o cooler
Explanation:
o More light is reflected off the white surface.
o Less energy is absorbed by the white surface.
o Black absorbs energy better.
o Less energy per unit area was absorbed
17. Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
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18. (4)
19. (3)
20. (1)
The 90°-angle plate received more intense radiation.
It received the most concentrated/more direct rays.
It absorbed the most light.
It reflected the least amount of light.
It had the greatest rate of absorption of energy per unit area