Question 12 — If the Earth were a - Questions at the end of the chapter - Chapter 13 - Earth as a System: Energy, Matter, and Life (Exploration)

Last updated at July 3, 2026 by

Question 12
If the Earth were a flat disc instead of a sphere, how would the patterns of solar radiation and temperature be different?
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  • On a flat disc facing the Sun, the rays would strike almost the same angle everywhere, so heating would be far more even across the surface.
  • The strong equator-to-pole temperature difference (caused by the curved surface) would largely vanish, changing wind and climate patterns.
Sphere vs Flat Disc A sphere rays vary with latitude A flat disc rays hit evenly on a sphere heating is uneven, but a flat disc facing the Sun would heat almost evenly everywhere.
Back to: 13.1.2 Latitude and Earth’s shape
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