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💡 Why the poles stay cold
On a round Earth, the same sunbeam is squeezed onto a small patch at the equator but smeared across a wide area at the poles — so the tropics roast and the poles freeze.
How do latitude and the Earth’s shape cause uneven heating?
- The Earth is spherical , so the Sun’s rays strike different latitudes at different angles.
- Rays on the equator are concentrated over a smaller area (warm), while at the poles the same energy spreads over a larger area (cold).
- The spherical shape and axial tilt also cause seasons and changing day length, so solar radiation is unevenly distributed — driving global winds and ocean currents.
NCERT Question 12 — If the Earth were a
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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Important Definitions
- Equatorial region — the region near the equator, where the Sun’s radiation is concentrated over a smaller area, so it stays relatively warm through the year.
- Polar region — the region near the poles, where the same radiation is spread over a larger area, so it stays much colder.
