Question

On a clear day, the total intensity of solar radiation incident at the Earth's surface is approximately 1000W/m2 Part a Assume our atmosphere absorbs 23% of the incoming solar radiation, and that the distance from the Earth to the Sun is 1.5 × 1011 m. From this information, what do you expect is the total power output of the sun? [IMPORTANT: to express a number like 2 x 1021, type 2e21] Enter answer here 1.23e+27 1.23e+27 WAnswe 1 of 4 attempts used CHECK ANSWER Part b How much solar energy do you absorb after sunbathing for an hour? Assume your skin has an exposed surface area of approximately 1.2m2, and you absorb 50% of the incident energy. Give your answer in megajoules. Your 1 of 4 attempts used CHECK ANSWER Part c What is the maximum magnetic field due to the solar radiation at the Earth's surface? Give your answer in units of micro-Tesla

Answer 1

To calculate the total power output of the Sun, divide the power output of the Sun by the absorbed and reflected power per square meter. The total power output of the Sun is approximately 3.08 x 10^23 W.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the total power output of the Sun, we need to find the power per square meter reaching Earth's upper atmosphere from the Sun. Given that the power output of the Sun is 4.00 × 10^26 W and that 1.30 kW/m² reaches Earth's surface after absorption and reflection by the atmosphere, we can find the power per square meter reaching Earth's upper atmosphere by dividing the power output of the Sun by the absorbed and reflected power per square meter.

Power per square meter reaching Earth's upper atmosphere = (Power output of the Sun) / (Power per square meter reaching Earth's surface) = (4.00 × 10^26 W) / (1.30 × 10^3 W/m²)

Calculating this expression gives us 3.08 x 10^23 square meters. Therefore, the total power output of the Sun is approximately 3.08 x 10^23 W.

Answer 2

The total power output of the Sun can be calculated by multiplying the intensity of solar radiation reaching Earth's upper atmosphere by the projected area of Earth.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the total power output of the Sun, we can use the information given. The total intensity of solar radiation incident at the Earth's surface is approximately 1000 W/m². Assuming 23% of this radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere, we can calculate the power per square meter reaching Earth's upper atmosphere. Using the formula P = A × I, where P is the power, A is the area, and I is the intensity, we can solve for the power output of the Sun.

Part a:
P = (1000 W/m²) / (1 - 0.23) = 1300 W/m²

To calculate the total power output of the Sun, we can multiply this intensity by the projected area of Earth (assumed to be R²), where R is the distance from the Earth to the Sun. Using the given distance of 1.5 × 10¹¹ m, we can calculate the area:

Area = π × (1.5 × 10¹¹ m)² = 7.07 × 10²² m²

Finally, we can calculate the total power output of the Sun:

Total Power Output = (1300 W/m²) × (7.07 × 10²² m²) = 9.20 × 10²⁴ W