A model shows rays of sunlight moving straight from the sun perpendicular to the surface of the Earth. What are these rays called?(1 point)
Responses
parallel rays
parallel rays
indirect rays
indirect rays
direct rays
direct rays
angled rays
angled rays
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The correct answer is direct rays.
The rays of sunlight moving straight from the sun perpendicular to the surface of the Earth are called **direct rays**.
The rays of sunlight that move straight from the sun perpendicular to the surface of the Earth are called direct rays. To find the answer to this question, we can use our knowledge of the properties of light and the interaction of sunlight with the Earth's atmosphere.
When the sun is directly overhead, the rays of sunlight reach the Earth's surface with minimal interference or bending. This is because the rays of sunlight travel in a straight line from the sun to the Earth. These direct rays are responsible for providing the strongest amount of sunlight and can create shadows that are directly under the objects blocking the light.
To understand this concept, it is important to know that the position of the sun relative to an observer determines the angle at which the sunlight reaches the Earth's surface. The term "perpendicular" in the question is used to describe the position of the sun when its rays are directly overhead and are at a 90-degree angle to the Earth's surface.
In contrast, when the sun is lower in the sky, such as during sunrise or sunset, the rays of sunlight have to pass through a larger amount of the Earth's atmosphere before reaching the surface. This causes the sunlight to scatter and bend, resulting in indirect rays that have a longer path and are more spread out. These indirect rays can create longer shadows and a softer, diffused light.
By understanding the behavior of sunlight and how it interacts with the Earth's atmosphere, we can determine that the rays of sunlight that move straight from the sun perpendicular to the Earth's surface are called direct rays.