Question

Why is earth warmer at the equator and colder at the poles?.

Answer 1

Sunlight hits a smaller surface area at the Equator so heats up quickly compared to the poles.

There is less atmosphere to pass through at the Equator compared to the poles. This means more heat from the sun makes it to the surface of the Earth.

Answer 2

Sunlight travels in a straight line and hits the equator. The rays are concentrated because it is a small area so the equator is warm.

At the poker however, because of the Earths tilt, the rays fall over a larger area which makes it harder to heat up. These rays called oblique rays also travel further because of the tilt. Additionally, show and ice is found at the poles and snow has a very high albedo, reflecting back about 60% of the radiation that hits it.