Final answer:
The Earth receives energy from the Sun through radiation, while the atmosphere interacts with the Sun's energy through processes like absorption, reflection, and scattering.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Earth and its atmosphere interact with energy from the Sun in different ways. The Earth receives almost all its energy from radiation of the Sun, which heats the surface. This energy is then transferred through conduction and convection in the Earth's solid materials, including rocks and oceans. On the other hand, the atmosphere interacts with the Sun's energy primarily through processes like absorption, reflection, and scattering. These processes determine the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth's surface and the distribution of energy within the atmosphere.