Question

At a location at low latitude, a stick measuring 1.15 m casts a 0.42 m shadow. A similar stick casts a 3.59 m shadow at a location at a high latitude. What is the insolation in each case? (Use the following equation for insolation and assume the maximum insolation on a clear day is 1.00 × 103 W/m2.) Express each answer in standard scientific notation. I=IMax(LstickL2stick+L2shadow√) ILow Latitude = × 102 Wm2 IHigh Latitude = × 102 Wm2

Answer 1

Insolation is calculated using maximum insolation and the geometric relationship between the length of a stick and its shadow. The formula provided helps to find the insolation at low and high latitudes using the stick and shadow lengths provided in the question.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to calculating the insolation or solar radiation received at a surface at two different latitudes given the length of shadows cast by sticks of the same height. Given that the maximum insolation on a clear day is 1.00 × 10³ W/m², we use the provided formula.

For the low latitude, with a stick length (Lstick) of 1.15 m and shadow length (Lshadow) of 0.42 m, the insolation I is calculated as follows:

I=IMax(Lstick / √(Lstick² + Lshadow²))

Similarly, we calculate the insolation at high latitude with a shadow length of 3.59 m.