Test 2

Question 1

The sun is a gaseous body composed mostly of hydrogen, with some helium and traces of heavier elements.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Greater solar irradiance means energy accumulates faster, which results in greater solar irradiation.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Solar radiation includes only visible light.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The two major types of radiation reaching the ground are direct radiation and diffuse radiation.

Answer 4

True

Question 5

Direct radiation is radiation that is scattered by the atmosphere and clouds.

Answer 5

False

Question 6

The amount of solar radiation that is absorbed or scattered in the atmosphere is constant regardless of how much atmosphere it passes through before reaching Earth’s surface.

Answer 6

False

Question 7

Air mass depends upon the time of day, the time of year, and the altitude and latitude of the specified location.

Answer 7

True

Question 8

Insolation is usually used to rate the solar energy potential of a location by calculating the average energy received per day.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

Direct solar radiation is measured with a pyrheliometer

Answer 9

True

Question 10

The equatorial plane is the plane of Earth’s orbit around the sun.

Answer 10

False

Question 11

The array azimuth angle is the vertical angle between horizontal and the array surface.

Answer 11

False

Question 12

Solar radiation is a highly variable resource and significant differences exist among regions in the United States.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

____ time is a timescale based on the apparent motion of the sun crossing a local meridian.

Answer 13

Solar

Question 14

Solar ____ is the intensity of solar power.

Answer 14

irradiance

Question 15

Solar _____ is the total amount of solar energy accumulated on an area over time.

Answer 15

irradiation

Question 16

The electromagnetic ____ is the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation, based on wavelength.

Answer 16

spectrum

Question 17

Solar radiation is ____ by components of the atmosphere, including ozone, carbon dioxide, and water vapor, as well as other gases and particles.

Answer 17

Absorbed, scattered, and reflected (all of the above)

Question 18

____ radiation is all of the solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface and is the sum of direct and diffuse radiation.

Answer 18

Total global

Question 19

____ is the point in the sky directly overhead a particular location.

Answer 19

Zenith

Question 20

Peak sun is an estimate of peak solar irradiance reaching earth’s surface and has a generally accepted value of ____ W/m².

Answer 20

1000

Question 21

A ____ is a sensor that measures the total global solar irradiance in a hemispherical field of view.

Answer 21

Pyranometer

Question 22

A(n) ____ is Earth’s orbital position when solar declination is at its minimum or maximum.

Answer 22

Solstice

Question 23

The solar ___ angle is the vertical angle between the sun and the horizon.

Answer 23

Altitude

Question 24

The ____ law is a physical law that states that the amount of radiation is proportional to the inverse of the square of the distance from the source.

Answer 24

inverse square

Question 25

____ solar radiation is solar radiation just outside Earth’s atmosphere.

Answer 25

extraterrestrial

Question 26

Solar ____ is the angle between the equatorial plane and the line joining the centers of the sun and Earth (in the ecliptic plane).

Answer 26

declination

Question 27

____ radiation is solar radiation directly from the sun that reaches Earth’s surface without scattering.

Answer 27

direct

Question 28

____ is a representation of the relative distance of atmosphere that solar radiation must travel through to reach Earth’s surface.

Answer 28

air mass

Question 29

____ solar radiation is solar radiation reaching the surface of the Earth.

Answer 29

terrestrial

Question 30

____ is the solar energy that reaches Earth’s surface over the course of a day.

Answer 30

insolation

Question 31

The atmospheric gas ___ plays an important role in blocking harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching Earth’s surface.

Answer 31

ozone

Question 32

A(n) _____ cell is an encapsulated PV cell that outputs a known amount of electrical current per unit of solar irradiance.

Answer 32

reference

Question 33

A(n) _____ is a plane formed by a due north-south longitude line through a location on Earth and projected out into space.

Answer 33

meridian

Question 34

The solar ____ is the area of sky between sun paths at summer solstice and winter solstice for a particular location.

Answer 34

window