<P> When sunlight shines on the earth at a lower angle (Sun closer to the horizon), the energy of the sunlight is spread over a larger area, and is therefore weaker than if the Sun is higher overhead and the energy is concentrated on a smaller area . </P> <P> Figure 2 depicts a sunbeam one mile (1.6 km) wide falling on the ground from directly overhead, and another hitting the ground at a 30 ° angle . Trigonometry tells us that the sine of a 30 ° angle is 1 / 2, whereas the sine of a 90 ° angle is 1 . Therefore, the sunbeam hitting the ground at a 30 ° angle spreads the same amount of light over twice as much area (if we imagine the Sun shining from the south at noon, the north - south width doubles; the east - west width does not). Consequently, the amount of light falling on each square mile is only half as much . </P> <P> Figure 3 shows the angle of sunlight striking the earth in the Northern and Southern hemispheres when the Earth's northern axis is tilted away from the Sun, when it is winter in the north and summer in the south . </P> <P> Heat energy is not received from the Sun . Rather, radiant energy is received and this results in change in energy level of receiving bodies in Earth's domain . Different materials have different properties for transmitting back received energy in the form of heat energy at different rates . </P>

Explain the significance of the tilt of the earth and how it affects the temperature