Sunlight is ______ spread out as you move away from the equator.

Sunlight is ______ spread out as you move away from the equator.

• A. less
• B. equal
• C. more
• D. much less

Answer: (C)

The main idea is how the angle of sunlight affects how concentrated solar energy is on the surface. When the Sun’s rays hit the Earth near the equator, they arrive more directly, so the energy is concentrated on a smaller patch of ground and feels stronger there. As you move toward higher latitudes, the rays strike at a slant, spreading the same amount of energy over a larger area. That makes the sunlight less intense per square meter, i.e., more spread out. This is why equatorial regions get warmer and sunlight is spread out more as you go away from the equator.

The main idea is how the angle of sunlight affects how concentrated solar energy is on the surface. When the Sun’s rays hit the Earth near the equator, they arrive more directly, so the energy is concentrated on a smaller patch of ground and feels stronger there. As you move toward higher latitudes, the rays strike at a slant, spreading the same amount of energy over a larger area. That makes the sunlight less intense per square meter, i.e., more spread out. This is why equatorial regions get warmer and sunlight is spread out more as you go away from the equator.