Albedo

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/albedo

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is albedo and why does it matter for Earth?Albedo is the fraction of sunlight that a surface reflects back into space. It helps keep Earth cool by bouncing some of the sun’s energy away.
2. Why does snow look so bright?Snow has a very high albedo, often above 0.8, meaning it reflects most of the sunlight that hits it.

Albedo: A dimensionless quantity representing the fraction of incident solar radiation diffusely reflected by a surface.
Radiative Forcing: The difference between the amount of energy reaching Earth and the amount leaving, affecting climate.
Cryosphere: The parts of Earth's surface where water is in solid form, including ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice.