Most of it dissipates into space, but the tiny fraction of the sun's energy that reaches Earth is enough to heat the planet and drive the global weather system by warming the atmosphere and oceans.
Some of the heat energy from the sun bounces back off the earth's atmosphere, but some of it gets through and reaches the earth's surface. The energy that does reach the earth's surface warms it. The extra energy causes chemical reactions, which give off heat again as a by-product–this heat is released through the same process of thermal radiation.
How does heat get to Earth?
The heat energy usually reaches earth in the form of light, and many of the sun's rays are in the ultraviolet spectrum. The transfer of heat in this way is known as thermal radiation. Some of the heat energy from the sun bounces back off the earth's atmosphere, but some of it gets through and reaches the earth's surface.
How does solar energy travel from the sun to the Earth?
Solar energy, however, can travel from the sun to the Earth without the need for a physical substance to transmit the energy. This feature of electromagnetic energy makes it possible for the Earth to receive solar energy, including heat. Some of the solar energy that arrives at the Earth bounces off the atmosphere and clouds and back into space.
How is heat transferred to Earth without a material medium?
The heat of the Sun is transferred to the Earth without any need for a material medium and this way is known as the transfer of heat by radiation, heat is transferred by radiation through material media & non-material ones, The heat is transferred from the heater to our bodies by convection & radiation.
The heat of the Sun is transferred to us by radiation because there is a space (vacuum) between the sun and the Earth and the transfer of heat by radiation doesn't need any material medium through which heat transfers.
Solar radiation is created by nuclear fusion reactions in the sun's core, which causes it to emit a large amount of electromagnetic radiation, mostly in the form of visible light. This radiation is the energy that heats the Earth. The sun's surface emits about 63 million watts of energy per square meter.