Earth's Atmosphere
What gas makes up the majority of the Earth's atmosphere?
Nitrogen
What do we call the process by which certain gases trap heat that radiate from the Earth?
The Greenhouse Effect
T/F - A low pressure system in our atmosphere usually brings higher temperatures and a high pressure system brings lower temperatures.
False
What happens to molecules when they heat up?
They start moving faster.
Name the layers of the Earth's atmosphere in order starting closest to the surface.
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
Define atmosphere.
The mass of air surrounding our planet.
What is something carbon dioxide does that is essential for our planet?
1) Helps regulate Earth's temperature (traps infrared light from the Earth)
2) Helps plants synthesize food
Which element is used in barometers to measure air pressure?
Mercury
Define temperature
It is the measure of the energy of random motion in a substance's molecules.
Which layer contains the ozone layer?
Stratosphere
Oxygen makes up what percent of the Earth's atmosphere?
21%
True or False: If the carbon dioxide concentration on earth were higher, the Earth would be much colder and would not be able to support life.
False...the Earth would be much hotter
Why don't we feel Earth's atmosphere pressing down on us?
Air pressure within us is also pushing out and the pressures cancel each other out.
Why does hot air rise?
Hot air is less dense (molecules are moving faster and are more spread out than cold air)
Which layer is the most dense, containing 75% of all gas molecules in the atmosphere?
Troposphere
What are the two main things the Earth's atmosphere shields us from?
Harmful UV rays
Too much of the greenhouse effect is said to cause this.
Global warming
How much pressure does our atmosphere exert on every square inch it touches at sea level?
14.7 lbs
Define heat.
Energy that is transferred from one object to another due to temperature differences.
Explain the temperature gradient in the troposphere?
As altitude increases, the temperature decreases.
Why would we not be able to hear anything without the gasses in our atmosphere?
Sound waves need a medium to travel through.
What are two things that put carbon dioxide into the air?
Combustion reactions and normal life processes of many creatures
If someone drinks a water bottle on the top of a mountain, seals it, and then descends, what will happen to the bottle and why?
It will be crushed because the atmospheric pressure outside the bottle is greater at lower altitudes than it was when the bottle was sealed up higher.
Conduction
What region of the atmosphere helps transmit radio signals?
Ionosphere