The seasons: light intensity and latitude

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This Teaching Astronomy and Space video clip, from the Institute of Physics (IOP), Teachers TV and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), shows a simple demonstration to explain why regions at the equator are hotter than regions nearer the Earth's north and south poles.

Using a lamp and a board, it is easy to show how the angle of sunlight hitting the ground influences its intensity and therefore the amount of energy it carries. Equatorial regions have a greater intensity of light, and are therefore hotter, than regions positioned away from the equator.

Please refer to the information and acknowledgements for this resource.

STFC is a part of the Research Councils UK (RCUK) partnership of research councils.

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