Vocabulary
What is the term for the amount of solar energy Earth absorbs compared with the energy it releases back into space?
Earth’s Energy budget
What type of heat transfer happens when two objects touch and thermal energy moves between them?
Conduction
Is the energy that warms Earth's surface mainly external or internal to the planet?
External. It mainly comes from the Sun.
What is the main source of energy that heats Earth's surface and drives most of its weather?
The Sun
You walk barefoot on dark pavement and light-colored concrete on a sunny day. Which surface will usually feel hotter?
Dark colored pavement, because it has a lower albedo and absorbs more heat from the sun
What property describes how much sunlight a surface reflects?
Albedo
What type of heat transfer involves the movement of a fluid, such as air or water?
Convection
Name one source of Earth's internal heat.
Radioactive decay, collisional heating
Why does Earth need to release energy into space?
To balance the energy it absorbs and avoid continuously gaining energy.
Why does a metal spoon become hot when left in a pot of hot soup?
Conduction transfers thermal energy from the hot soup to the spoon.
What type of energy transfer can travel through empty space, such as sunlight traveling from the Sun to Earth?
Radiation
What type of heat transfer brings energy from the Sun to Earth?
Radiation
Why do you feel warm when you stand in direct sunlight, even if you are not touching anything hot?
Solar radiation transfers energy to your body.
If Earth absorbs more energy than it releases to space over time, what happens to Earth's average temperature?
It tends to increase
A volcanic eruption sends tiny particles into the atmosphere that reflect sunlight back into space. What may happen to Earth's average temperature in the short term?
It may decrease because less solar energy reaches and is absorbed by Earth's surface.
What is the process in which particles in an unstable atom release energy as the atom changes?
Radioactive decay
The ground absorbs sunlight and warms the air directly touching it. Which two types of energy transfer are involved when the Sun heats the ground and the ground warms the air?
Radiation heats the ground, then conduction transfers thermal energy from the ground to the air touching it.
Explain how radioactive decay can help keep Earth's interior hot long after the planet formed.
Radioactive isotopes in Earth's interior decay and release energy, generating heat over long periods.
Two planets receive the same amount of sunlight. Planet A reflects more sunlight than Planet B. Which planet absorbs less solar energy?
Planet A, because it has the higher albedo.
Why are cities often warmer than nearby rural areas, creating what is known as an urban heat island?
Cities have many dark surfaces, such as roads and rooftops, that absorb and store solar energy. They also have fewer trees and less vegetation to provide shade and cool the air through evaporation and transpiration. These factors can make urban areas warmer than surrounding rural areas.
What is the process by which material comes together through collisions and gravitational attraction to form a larger body, such as a planet?
Accretion
Earth's surface absorbs sunlight and warms the atmosphere. Describe one way radiation and one way convection help transfer or redistribute thermal energy in the Earth system.
The surface emits infrared radiation that the atmosphere can absorb. Convection then redistributes thermal energy as warmer air rises and cooler air sinks.
What is the difference between solar energy and geothermal energy?
Solar energy comes from the Sun, while geothermal energy comes from Earth's internal heat.
What kind of energy does Earth release back into space after absorbing energy from the Sun?
Infrared radiation, which carries energy away from Earth.
A city replaces a large area of dark pavement with light-colored, reflective surfaces. How could this affect the city's temperature on sunny days?
The surfaces may absorb less solar energy, helping reduce surface heating and potentially lowering local temperatures.