Concept explainers
Fluctuation in the Solar Constant The solar constant S is the amount of energy per unit area that reaches Earth’s atmosphere from the sun. It is equal to 1367 watts per m2 but varies slightly throughout the seasons. This fluctuation
in S can be calculated using the formula
In this formula. N is the day number covering a four-year period, where N = 1 corresponds to January 1 of a leap year and N = 1461 corresponds to December 31 of the fourth year. (Source: Winter. C.. R. Sizmann. and L. L.Vant-Hull, Editors. Solar Power Plants, Springer-Verlag.)
(a) Calculate
(b) Calculate
(c) What is the maximum value of
?
(d) Find a value for N where
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Trigonometry (11th Edition)
- Algebra & Trigonometry with Analytic GeometryAlgebraISBN:9781133382119Author:SwokowskiPublisher:Cengage