What form does heat energy from the sun reach us in?

1 Answer
Jan 4, 2016

Photons.

Explanation:

But that is a bit of a trick question. The sun emits photons, x-rays, infrared light, ultra-violet light and many other wave lengths. Each has a certain amount of energy associated with it. That energy is transformed into heat when it slams into our atmosphere and other more solid objects. For example, a blackness of a roadway is particularly hot because it absorbs all wavelengths of light which hit it and transforms that light into heat. Whereas snow absorbs almost no light and reflects most of it back into space, therefor no heat is created.