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Year 7

Heating by the Sun

I can explain why the heating effect of the Sun is greater at midday than at sunrise.

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New
New
Year 7

Heating by the Sun

I can explain why the heating effect of the Sun is greater at midday than at sunrise.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Heating a surface from directly overhead is more effective than heating a surface at a different angle.
  2. When rays of light hit a surface face-on, they are less spread out than if they hit at an angle.
  3. At a place on Earth, the heating effect of the Sun is greatest at midday and lowest at sunrise and sunset.
  4. Over a day, Earth's spin changes the Sun's height in the sky and the angle at which the Sun's rays arrive at a place.

Common misconception

Students may think that the midday Sun is higher in the sky because the Sun is further away then, or that the midday Sun has a greater heating effect because the Sun is closer or hotter then.

Use physical models (such as a globe, or a flat card in front of a light bulb with a thermometer attached) to show students how the changes observed over a day to Sun's position in the sky and the Sun's heating effect are caused by Earth's spin.

Keywords

  • Heating - Anything that raises the temperature of an object is heating the object.

  • Ray - Rays are straight lines with arrowheads, drawn to represent light.

  • Angle - An angle measures the difference between two directions, in degrees.

  • Thermometer - A thermometer is used to measure temperature in degrees Celsius.

This lesson uses different models to convey how the Earth's spin causes changes to Sun's position in the sky and the Sun's heating effect over a day. Show these models alongside each other (e.g. attach the card on the thermometer to the UK on a globe) so pupils can make links between them.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which two of these astronomical objects give off light (are luminous)?
planets
Correct answer: stars
Correct answer: the Sun
the Moon
Q2.
What causes a parked car to heat up to a higher temperature than its surroundings on a sunny day?
the material inside the car
the heat from the road underneath it
the hot air around it
Correct answer: the sunlight shining on it
Q3.
Which of these days in the northern hemisphere (e.g. in London) has most hours of daylight?
March 21st
Correct answer: June 21st
September 21st
December 21st
Q4.
Put these planets in order of how bright the sun appears from each one. Start with the one where the sun appears brightest.
1 - Mercury
2 - Earth
3 - Jupiter
4 - Neptune
Q5.
Put these planets in order of their average temperature, starting with the hottest.
1 - Mercury
2 - Earth
3 - Saturn
4 - Neptune
Q6.
Which of these cars would be the hottest? Apart from colour, the cars are identical.
a silver car on a cloudy day
a black car on a cloudy day
a silver car on a sunny day
Correct answer: a black car on a sunny day

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which produces the greatest heating effect?
Correct answer: heating a surface from directly overhead ('face-on')
heating a surface from a 45 degree angle
heating a surface from far to one side
Q2.
Starting with sunrise, put these positions that the Sun appears in the sky (from the UK) into the order they occur during a day.
1 - the Sun is low in the sky, to the east
2 - the Sun is high in the sky, to the south
3 - the Sun is low in the sky, to the west
Q3.
The picture shows the path of the Sun across the sky during one day at a beach. A towel is laid out across the ground. At which point in the day is the towel heated most strongly by the Sun?
An image in a quiz
early in the morning
Correct answer: at midday
in the afternoon
the heating effect from the Sun is the same at the different times of day
Q4.
Why is heating a surface from directly overhead (or ‘face-on’) more effective than heating a surface at a different angle?
the rays are more spread out over the surface when the surface is 'face-on'
Correct answer: the rays are less spread out over the surface when the surface is 'face-on'
when the surface is at an angle less heat will be absorbed
Correct answer: tilting the surface away means fewer rays hit the same area of the surface
Correct answer: when the surface is 'face on' more heat will be absorbed
Q5.
What is the correct reason why the heating effect of the Sun is greater at midday/noon than at sunrise?
A place is closer to the Sun at noon than at sunrise, due to Earth's spin.
The Sun is hotter at noon than at sunrise.
Correct answer: A place is more face-on to the Sun at noon than at sunrise, due to Earth's spin.
The Sun is higher in the sky at noon so it is further from Earth then.
Q6.
Izzy is investigating how the heating angle affects the temperature rise of a card in two minutes. Match the variables in this investigation.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:independent variable,the angle of the surface to the rays

the angle of the surface to the rays

Correct Answer:dependent variable,the temperature rise in two minutes

the temperature rise in two minutes

Correct Answer:a control variable,the distance between the centre of the card and the heater

the distance between the centre of the card and the heater

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