IB Physics SL B.2.4 Earth’s albedo variation Question Bank
Practise IB Physics SL B.2.4 by explaining why Earth’s albedo varies with location, season, clouds and surface conditions.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2025
- Course
- Physics SL
- Level
- SL
Practise IB Physics SL B.2.4 by explaining why Earth’s albedo varies with location, season, clouds and surface conditions.
This question is in two parts. Part 1 is about solar radiation and the greenhouse effect. Part 2 is about a mass on a spring.
Part 1 Solar radiation and the greenhouse effect
The following data are available.

State two reasons why the solar power incident per unit area at a point on the surface of the Earth is likely to be different from your answer in (c).
1 :
2:
some energy reflected; some energy absorbed/scattered by atmosphere;
depends on latitude;
depends on time of day;
depends on time of year;
depends on weather (eg cloud cover) at location; power output of Sun varies;
Earth-Sun distance varies;