Final answer:
The statement is true as the Sun emits a constant flux of solar radiation to the Earth's surface, known as the solar constant, which is approximately 1,360 W/m². Solar energy is mostly absorbed and partly reflected by Earth, maintaining an energy balance critical for temperature regulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the sun emits solar radiation to the Earth's surface at a relatively constant amount, also known as energy charge, is true. Sunlight arrives at the top of Earth's atmosphere delivering energy at a rate of 1,360 Joules per second per square meter (1,360 W/m²), which is known as the solar constant.
This constant represents the flux of sunlight incident on Earth. The Earth receives almost all its energy from the Sun's radiation, which consists of shorter wavelength ultraviolet rays, visible light, and infrared. Indeed, about 30% of this sunlight is immediately reflected back into space, and the remaining 70% is absorbed by Earth's surface and atmosphere.
The Sun functions like a nearly perfect blackbody with a surface temperature of 6000 K, meaning its emission spectrum is very broad and peaks in the visible region.
About half of the solar energy arriving at the Earth is in the infrared region, with the rest mostly in the visible part of the spectrum and a small amount in the ultraviolet.
On average, 50 percent of the incident solar energy is absorbed by the Earth. Over time, the energy absorbed by the Earth should equal the energy radiated back to space, a balance that is critical to maintaining Earth's energy budget and thus its temperature.