Question

gizmo warm-up
the reasons for seasons have a lot to do with the angle at which the sun’s rays hit earth. to see why, select the plate tab on the seasons: why do we have them? gizmo. the image shows a solar panel (plate m) facing the sun. check that the axis angle is set to 0°.

1. click fire to release 100 “rays” of sunlight. look next to “number of hits” below the plate.

how many of these rays hit plate m?

1. click reset. change the axis angle to 40°, and click fire. how many rays hit plate m now?

1. which do you think will warm up the plate more quickly? (highlight the answer.)

a. direct sunlight (sunlight that hits the plate at a 90° angle)
b. indirect sunlight (sunlight that hits the plate at an angle of less than 90°)

Explanation:

Question 1

Step1: Follow Gizmo instruction

Click "Fire" in the Gizmo to release 100 rays, then check the "Number of hits" value. (Since this is a Gizmo simulation, the actual number is obtained by performing the action. Typically, when Axis angle is 0° and the plate is facing the Sun directly, most rays hit. But assuming the simulation shows, for example, if all 100 hit (depending on Gizmo setup), but usually in such setups, when axis angle is 0, the plate is perpendicular, so let's say the number is around 100 (exact via simulation). But since the user needs to do the action, but for the sake of example, if we assume the Gizmo shows 100 (or the actual number from the simulation). Wait, but the problem is to do the Gizmo action. However, since this is a theoretical, maybe the answer is obtained by the simulation. But as an example, let's say after clicking Fire, the number of hits is, say, 100 (if the plate is directly facing, all rays hit). But the actual answer is from the Gizmo's "Number of hits" display.

Step2: Record the number

After clicking Fire, read the "Number of hits" value. Suppose in the Gizmo, when Axis angle is 0°, the number of hits is 100 (this is a common result in such solar angle simulations where the plate is perpendicular to the rays).

Step1: Follow Gizmo steps

Click "Reset", change Axis angle to 40°, then click "Fire".

Step2: Check hits

Read the "Number of hits" value after clicking Fire. When the Axis angle is 40° (plate is at an angle to the Sun), the number of hits will be less than 100 (since the rays are spread over a larger area or hit at an angle, so fewer direct hits). For example, in such simulations, the number might be around, say, 60 - 80 (exact via Gizmo). But the actual answer is from the Gizmo's display.

Direct sunlight (hitting at 90°) has rays concentrated on a smaller area, so the plate absorbs more energy per unit area, warming up faster. Indirect sunlight (angle < 90°) spreads rays over a larger area, leading to slower warming.

Answer:

(The answer depends on the Gizmo simulation. Typically, when Axis angle is 0°, the number of hits is around 100 (exact value from the Gizmo's "Number of hits" display). For example, if the simulation shows 100, then the answer is 100.)

Question 2