The Sun's Energy
What is Earth's primary source of energy?
The Sun
What type of heat transfer occurs through direct contact?
Conduction
What is Earth's energy budget?
The balance between incoming and outgoing energy
What happens during an energy transformation?
Energy changes from one form to another
According to the law of conservation of energy, energy cannot be created or ________.
Destroyed
What are the three main types of solar radiation we studied?
Visible light, infrared, and ultraviolet
What type of heat transfer occurs when warm air rises and cool air sinks?
Convection
What happens to Earth's temperature when it absorbs more energy than it releases?
Temperature increases
What type of energy does an electric heater transform electrical energy into?
Thermal energy
What type of energy comes from heat inside Earth rather than directly from the Sun?
Geothermal energy
What causes wind to form on Earth?
Uneven heating of Earth's surface by the Sun
What type of heat transfer allows you to feel warmth from a campfire without touching it?
Radiation
What is the greenhouse effect?
The trapping of heat by gases in Earth's atmosphere
What type of energy does a car engine produce from the chemical energy stored in gasoline?
Mechanical energy
What happens to the movement of particles when a substance is heated?
They move faster
During photosynthesis, plants transform radiant energy into what type of energy?
Chemical energy
A metal spoon becomes hot while sitting in a pot of boiling water. What type of heat transfer causes the spoon to heat up?
Conduction
Which greenhouse gas increases the greenhouse effect when its concentration rises?
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
What two types of energy are added together to calculate mechanical energy?
Kinetic and potential energy
What is the difference between kinetic energy and potential energy?
Kinetic is energy of motion; potential is stored energy
How does energy from the Sun travel through the empty space between the Sun and Earth?
Radiation
When water boils in a pot, warm water rises and cooler water sinks. What causes this movement?
Convection currents caused by differences in density
What would happen to Earth's average temperature if Earth released more energy into space than it absorbed over time?
Temperature would decrease
A battery-powered flashlight turns on. What energy transformations take place?
Chemical → Electrical → Light (radiant) and Thermal
Explain how the Sun's uneven heating of Earth's surface creates convection currents in the atmosphere.
Warm, less dense air rises while cooler, denser air sinks, creating convection currents