At the Earth's orbital distance from the Sun, the intensity of solar radiation is approximately 1400 W/m². What is the intensity at Mercury's orbital distance, which is 38.7% that of Earth? A) 2280 W/m² B) 3800 W/m² C) 9300 W/m² D) 540 W/m²

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The intensity of solar radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the Sun. Since Mercury's distance is 38.7% of Earth's, the intensity is (1/0.387)^2 times Earth's intensity, which calculates to approximately 9300 W/m².

At the Earth's Orbital Distance from the Sun, the Intensity