In the above problem, if the distance from the sun to the earth is 1.5 ×10^11 m, then the inten

step 1 Intensity of sunlight reaching on the earth is defined as power of solar radiation upon surface

In the above problem, if the distance from the sun to the...

In the above problem, if the distance from the sun to the earth is $1.5 \times 10^{11} \mathrm{~m}$, then the intensity of sunlight on earth's surface will be (in $\mathrm{W} / \mathrm{m}^{2}$ ) (A) $1.38 \times 10^{3}$ (B) $2.76 \times 10^{4}$ (C) $5.52 \times 10^{5}$ (D) $3.74 \times 10^{3}$

In the above problem, if the distance from the sun to the earth is $1.5 \times 10^{11} \mathrm{~m}$, then the intensity of sunlight on earth's surface will be (in $\mathrm{W} / \mathrm{m}^{2}$ )
(A) $1.38 \times 10^{3}$
(B) $2.76 \times 10^{4}$
(C) $5.52 \times 10^{5}$
(D) $3.74 \times 10^{3}$

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Key Concepts

Inverse Square Law

This fundamental principle states that a specified physical quantity or intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source. In the context of sunlight intensity, it explains how the power per unit area decreases as the sunlight spreads out over the surface of a growing sphere at larger distances.

Luminosity

Luminosity refers to the total amount of energy emitted by a radiating body per unit time. For the Sun, it represents the full output of power which, when distributed over the surface area of a sphere at a given distance, determines the intensity of sunlight there.

Surface Area of a Sphere

When calculating how energy from a point source such as the Sun is distributed over space, the concept of the surface area of a sphere is crucial. The intensity of radiation is computed by dividing the total luminosity by the surface area of a sphere (4? times the radius squared) at the distance of interest.

Radiative Flux (Intensity)

Radiative flux, or intensity, is the measure of the amount of energy passing through a unit area per unit time. It is a key concept in understanding how much solar power reaches a specific area, such as the Earth's surface, and is obtained by applying the inverse square law to the solar luminosity.

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