Natural Phenomena Due to Sunlight – Class 12 | Chapter – 9 | Physics Short Notes Series PDF for NEET & JEE
Natural Phenomena Due to Sunlight: Sunlight, the light that emanates from the sun, causes many natural phenomena on Earth.
Natural Phenomena Due to Sunlight
Here are some of the most common natural phenomena due to sunlight:
Photosynthesis: Sunlight is a crucial component in the process of photosynthesis, which is how plants and some microorganisms create energy. Through photosynthesis, plants convert light energy into chemical energy that they can use to fuel their growth and development.
Day and Night:The rotation of the Earth on its axis causes day and night. The side of the Earth facing the sun experiences daylight, while the side facing away from the sun experiences darkness. The length of daylight varies throughout the year, depending on the Earth’s position in its orbit around the sun.
Seasons: The tilt of the Earth’s axis causes the seasons. During different times of the year, different parts of the Earth receive varying amounts of sunlight due to the angle at which the sun’s rays hit the Earth’s surface. This results in the four seasons – winter, spring, summer, and fall.
Rainbow:A rainbow is a natural phenomenon that is caused by the interaction of sunlight with water droplets in the air. When sunlight passes through water droplets, it is refracted and reflected, separating the colors of the visible spectrum and creating a circular band of colors in the sky.
Atmospheric Optical Phenomena: Sunlight can create various atmospheric optical phenomena such as halos, sun pillars, sun dogs, and crepuscular rays. These phenomena are caused by the refraction and reflection of sunlight by ice crystals and other atmospheric particles.
Ocean Tides: Sunlight, along with the gravitational pull of the moon, affects the ocean tides. When the sun and moon are aligned, their gravitational pull creates higher high tides and lower low tides. This is called a spring tide. When the sun and moon are at a right angle to each other, their gravitational pull creates lower high tides and higher low tides. This is called a neap tide.