Consider the following statements:

Atmosphere of the Earth does not get heated by the solar radiation directly

Solar radiation is mostly shorter waves in comparison to Earth\'s radiation

Which among the above statements is / are correct?

Question

Atmosphere of the Earth does not get heated by the solar radiation directly: This statement is not entirely correct. The Earth\'s atmosphere does indeed get heated by solar radiation, but the process is not as direct as the statement suggests. When the Sun emits energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light and ultraviolet rays, a significant portion of this radiation reaches the Earth\'s atmosphere. While the atmosphere itself is not directly heated by the Sun\'s radiation, it plays a crucial role in redistributing the energy received from the Sun. The atmosphere absorbs some of the incoming solar energy and then radiates heat back toward the Earth\'s surface, contributing to the warming of the planet.
Solar radiation is mostly shorter waves in comparison to Earth\'s radiation: This statement is partially correct. Solar radiation does indeed consist of shorter wavelengths, primarily in the form of visible light and shorter ultraviolet rays. On the other hand, the Earth\'s radiation, also known as terrestrial or longwave radiation, is predominantly in the form of infrared radiation, which has longer wavelengths. So, the statement correctly points out that solar radiation has shorter wavelengths than Earth\'s radiation, but it\'s important to note that both forms of radiation contribute to the overall energy balance of the planet.

Thus, neither statement is entirely accurate, but they contain elements of truth. The correct answer would be: [D] Neither 1 nor 2

GKToday Admin · Accepted Answer

Both 1 & 2

Atmosphere of the Earth does not get heated by the solar radiation directly: This statement is not entirely correct. The Earth\'s atmosphere does indeed get heated by solar radiation, but the process is not as direct as the statement suggests. When the Sun emits energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light and ultraviolet rays, a significant portion of this radiation reaches the Earth\'s atmosphere. While the atmosphere itself is not directly heated by the Sun\'s radiation, it plays a crucial role in redistributing the energy received from the Sun. The atmosphere absorbs some of the incoming solar energy and then radiates heat back toward the Earth\'s surface, contributing to the warming of the planet.
Solar radiation is mostly shorter waves in comparison to Earth\'s radiation: This statement is partially correct. Solar radiation does indeed consist of shorter wavelengths, primarily in the form of visible light and shorter ultraviolet rays. On the other hand, the Earth\'s radiation, also known as terrestrial or longwave radiation, is predominantly in the form of infrared radiation, which has longer wavelengths. So, the statement correctly points out that solar radiation has shorter wavelengths than Earth\'s radiation, but it\'s important to note that both forms of radiation contribute to the overall energy balance of the planet.

Thus, neither statement is entirely accurate, but they contain elements of truth. The correct answer would be: [D] Neither 1 nor 2