Energy: Sun and Earth

Name:

Date:

Part 1: Read, Compare, and Use the Visuals

Solar energy comes from the Sun. It warms Earth’s surface and drives evaporation, weathering, and much atmospheric motion. Internal energy comes from heat inside Earth. It drives mantle convection and volcanic activity.

Four Earth Processes

A. Weathering: Solar heating can warm rock. Water, ice, and changing temperatures slowly break the rock into smaller pieces.

Flow model: Sun warms rock → water or ice acts on rock → rock breaks down

B. Mantle convection: Heat from Earth’s interior warms some mantle material. The warmer material rises, cools, and sinks. This slow movement is convection.

Flow model: Internal heat → warm mantle rises → cooler mantle sinks → convection

C. Volcanic activity: Internal heat melts rock and helps move magma. Magma may rise through cracks and erupt at Earth’s surface.

Flow model: Internal heat → melting and magma movement → volcanic activity

D. Water cycle: Solar energy warms surface water. Water evaporates, rises, cools, condenses into clouds, and returns as precipitation.

Flow model: Sun warms water → evaporation → condensation → precipitation

Word bank: solar energy, internal energy, evaporation, weathering, convection, volcanic activity, water cycle, evidence

Approximate Energy Data Table

Incoming solar energy: about 173,000 terawatts (TW)

Source: energy arriving from the Sun

Energy released from Earth’s interior: about 47 TW

Source: heat inside Earth

1. Which energy source has the more direct role in the water cycle?

Solar energy

Internal energy

2. Identify the main energy source for each process. Write solar or internal.

Weathering: ____________ Mantle convection: ____________

Volcanic activity: ____________ Water cycle: ____________

3. Match each text detail to the correct flow model. Write A, B, C, or D.

_____ Heat causes warm mantle material to rise and cooler material to sink.

_____ Water changes to vapor after surface water is warmed.

_____ Water, ice, and temperature changes break rock into smaller pieces.

_____ Magma rises through cracks and may erupt.

4. Which visual feature shows energy moving through a process?

Part 2: Trace Energy and Support Your Thinking

5. Choose one process from Part 1. Copy its flow model below, or write your own version with arrows.

6. Label your pathway with the energy source: solar energy or internal energy.

7. What evidence from the weathering passage shows that solar energy can help drive weathering?

8. Use the passage and flow model to explain how internal energy drives either mantle convection or volcanic activity.

9. How many times greater is the approximate incoming solar energy than the energy released from Earth’s interior? Show or explain your comparison using 173,000 TW and 47 TW.

10. Which energy source has the stronger direct role in the water cycle? Write a claim and support it with at least one detail from the text and one number or visual feature.

Sentence starter: The water cycle is driven mainly by ____________. The text states ____________. The data or visual shows ____________.