Place one probe under a black sheet of construction paper and the other under a white sheet of paper. Position both probes so that they both receive an equal amount of light from a gooseneck lamp. Ask students to hypothesize about which should heat up faster. Test the hypothesis with the equipment. The polar ice sheets represent a large part of the Earth s surface.
Students are now ready to do the activity.
Refer to the student activity masters for their directions. The clouds, the Earth s surface, and the atmosphere all influence this balance. Seasons also affect the amount of radiation that the Earth receives. A radiation budget is one way of accounting for the solar energy entering and leaving the Earth system. This total energy can be absorbed or reflected.