Final answer:
Summer has longer days and higher solar altitude because the Earth's tilt causes the Sun to be higher in the sky, leading to more direct sunlight and warmer temperatures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is addressing the characteristics of summer in terms of day length and solar altitude. During the summer, days are longer and the Sun has a higher solar altitude. This is due to the tilt of Earth's axis, which at the summer solstice, tilts towards the Sun resulting in the Sun being higher in the sky. The Sun's rays strike Earth more directly, which means that the light doesn't spread out as much on the ground and therefore imparts more heat to any given area. Consequently, the longer days combined with the higher altitude of the Sun in the sky lead to more hours of sunlight and warmer temperatures.
In contrast, during the winter months, the Sun is low in the sky, producing shorter days and a lower solar altitude. The rays of the winter sun arrive at a more oblique angle, which causes the light to spread out more and diminish the heat any one area receives. As a result, less time is spent by the Sun above the horizon, resulting in less heat and cooler temperatures.