The Atmosphere
What is the atmosphere?
Acceptable answers:
The layer over the Earth, the air around us, made up of nitrogen and oxygen
How is wind formed?
High pressure air flows towards low pressure air, hot air rises and cold air sinks
What is the fundamental cause of air circulation in Earth’s atmosphere?
A. Earth’s gravity
B. ocean currents
C. energy from the sun
D. Earth’s magnetic field
C. energy from the sun
The sun’s energy travels in waves through space as ...
Radiation
What is one of the layers of the atmosphere?
Acceptable answers:
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
The process of wind blowing is driven by ____ from the sun
Explain how air particle density and air pressure are related
If the density of air particles (increases/decreases) the air pressure (increases/decreases)
The energy transfer that happens when particles touch is called ...
Conduction
What layer of the atmosphere do we live in?
Troposphere
As air is warmed by the sun, it ____ and becomes ____ dense
expands, less
What is the general pattern of winds near the equator?
A. The equator is a region of mostly high air pressure due to cooler, denser air.
B. The equator is a region of mostly low air pressure due to warmer, less dense air.
C. The equator is a region where low- and high air-pressure atmospheric bands come together to create warm, weak air patterns.
D. The equator is a region where high- and low air-pressure atmospheric bands come together to result in cool, strong air patterns.
B. The equator is a region of mostly low air pressure due to warmer, less dense air.
The transfer of energy due to the movement of matter.
Convection
The atmosphere contains a lot of _____. Water vapor enters the atmosphere from Earth’s ____.
water, surface
How does the kinetic energy of wind flow through the atmosphere?
Creating waves, driving currents, can move material such as sand
The global movement of wind results from differences of ...
pressure in the atmosphere/air pressure
What two types of energy are transferred in Earth's atmosphere?
Thermal and kinetic
What is the layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere?
Stratosphere
If the _____ of air particles ____, the air pressure increases
density, increases
The ____ receives the most thermal energy
a. equator
b. poles
equator
What is energy?
The ability to do work