Question

The Sun's magnetic field takes about 22 years to reverse twice--that is, for the north pole to become the north pole again. Therefore, the sunspot cycle peaks about once every ______ years.

a) 11
b) 22
c) 44
d) 33

Answer 1

The sunspot cycle peaks about once every 11 years, which is half the duration of the full magnetic cycle of the Sun that takes 22 years to complete.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sunspot cycle peaks about once every 11 years. This is because the number of visible sunspots varies according to a cycle that averages 11 years in length. However, the complete magnetic cycle of the Sun, where the polarity of the sunspots reverses in each hemisphere, takes about 22 years to repeat. This means that it takes two 11-year sunspot cycles for the Sun's north pole to become the north pole again, marking a full magnetic cycle. A significant tool used in the study of the sunspot and magnetic cycle of the Sun is a magnetogram, which provides a visual representation of the Sun's magnetic fields.