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is the sunlight power received by a certain area on earth dependent on slope of the area


Anmtan

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T further we go north or south (increase in absolute latitude), the temperature drops right. They say this is because the sunlight falls at a greater slant as you go towards poles. So does that mean that the temperature is related to the latitude or the slope (derivative) of that latitude point?

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The solar power received at difference latitude is different. At more polar latitudes, the same amount of sunlight is spread over a greater area. It's not exactly the derivative since derivative means at a single point but the power depends on the area. 

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Hey kw0573, thanks for your help. 

I got one question. Is there a formula (or can we derive it) to model how the intensity varies with the latitude (slant). For example, if I have, say 2 Watts/sq.m of intensity at equator, do u know how i can derive the a function to calculate what the power will be at say 45 deg. latitude north?

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On 2/3/2017 at 11:54 PM, Anmtan said:

Hey kw0573, thanks for your help. 

I got one question. Is there a formula (or can we derive it) to model how the intensity varies with the latitude (slant). For example, if I have, say 2 Watts/sq.m of intensity at equator, do u know how i can derive the a function to calculate what the power will be at say 45 deg. latitude north?

It is in fact a very simple trig relationship. Assume the angle that the slant makes with the horizontal is θ. In this case we assume at equator the sun shines the ground at θ=90º. As you go north (more slanted), the angle θ decreases, which means the cosine of this angle will also decrease, so the amount of sunlight projected onto the more slanted ground becomes fewer.

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