Earth's Spheres
The mixture of gases surrounding the Earth in layers.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere insulates the planet by trapping
Thermal energy
Which of the following statements refers to weather?
A) “It rains a lot in the Spring in my city.”
B) “It’s very hot and sunny today. Let’s go to the beach.”
C) “There are many people who don’t believe there is a hole in the ozone layer’”
D) “We are going south to Florida in January because it will be warmer.”
B) “It’s very hot and sunny today. Let’s go to the beach.”
When the land or oceans are heated unevenly, _______ ________ form.
Convection Currents
The earth receives heat and light energy as electromagnetic waves that travels from the sun. Which of the following is the correct classification for this energy?
A) Radiation
When nitrogen is returned to the soil when dead plants decompose, the interaction is between which two spheres?
A) Hydrosphere and geosphere
B) Cryosphere and geosphere
C) Biosphere and Geosphere
D) Biosphere and atmosphere
C) Biosphere and Geosphere
Earth's ozone layer absorbs solar radiation, protecting the biosphere. Which atmospheric layer includes the ozone layer?
Stratosphere
Heat energy is required for this water cycle process to occur:
Evaporation
A change in the temperature and density of air can result in a breeze. Which of the following best shows a series of energy transfers that begins with the Sun and results in a breeze?
A) Warm air is heating up the water or land surface.
B) Cool dense air is moving to take the place of rising warm air.
C) Warm air is pushing cool air up from the water or land surface.
D) Cool air is mixing with warm air to decrease the air temperature.
B) Cool dense air is moving to take the place of rising warm air.
Convection currents in the atmosphere are a result of
A) Warm air sinking and cool air rising.
B) Warm air rising and cool air sinking.
C) Warm air and cool air mixing evenly.
D) Warm air circulating while cool air remains still.
B) Warm air rising and cool air sinking.
The water cycle is the continuous movement of water on, in and above the Earth. Which of the following describes evaporation in the water cycle?
A) Water vapor meets cold air and changes back into a liquid
B) Plants take in water from the soil
C) Water gets heated and changes from liquid water to water vapor
D) Water freezes
C) Water gets heated and changes from liquid water to water vapor
The atmosphere not only protects humans from solar radiation it also protects us from being struck by asteroids. Most asteroids that fall toward Earth burn up before reaching Earth's surface. When they hit the atmosphere, meteors rub against air particles and create friction, heating the meteors. The heat vaporizes most meteors, creating what we call shooting stars. Which layer of the atmosphere is where most meteors burn up?
Mesosphere
What happens to water molecules when they are heated by the sun?
They speed up and increase humidity
In December, Bill was driving through Florida with his family. As they drove closer to the coast, Bill noticed that the air grew a little cooler. Which of the following statements best explains the temperature difference?
A) Air expands at higher temperatures.
B) Warm air moves toward the coastline from inland areas.
C) The land heats up faster than water, creating a sea breeze.
D) The water heats up faster than the land, creating a land breeze.
C) The land heats up faster than water, creating a sea breeze.
How is heat transferred from the hot sand to your feet when you walk barefoot on the beach in the summer?
Conduction
Scientific evidence reveals that Earth is gradually growing warmer. Which of the following describes how this warming could cause glaciers to change?
A) Glaciers could move from the hydrosphere to the biosphere.
B) Glaciers could move from the biosphere to the hydrosphere.
C) Glaciers could move from the hydrosphere to the cryosphere.
D) Glaciers could move from the cryosphere to the hydrosphere.
D) Glaciers could move from the cryosphere to the hydrosphere.
Scientists found that the certain chemicals were thinning the ozone layer.
What is the possible side effect of a thinner ozone layer?
Sample Answer: More skin cancer due to harmful sun rays
Carlita is trying ot describe the climate of Florida to her friend that lives in Michigan. Which statement BEST describes the climate of Florida?
A) The average yearly temperature is 22C (72F) in Jacksonville.
B) Afternoon rain showers are common during the summer months.
C) A tropical storm caused heavy rain, winds and flooding last month.
D) At the beach, there are usually strong breezes coming off the water.
B) Afternoon rain showers are common during the summer months.
In Florida, the temperature at the beach in the summer can be 5 degrees cooler than inland. Also in the winter the beach can be 5 degrees warmer than inland. What causes this?
The water heats up and cools down slower than the land
Conduction happens as energy flows from a warmer object to a cooler object. Which of the following is an example of conduction?
A) Electromagnetic radiation transfers energy from the sun to the earth.
B) Warmer air is pushed upward and out of the way by cooler air.
C) Cooler air molecules come in contact with the warm ground.
D) Dense water sinks to the ocean floor and less dense water moves to the surface.
C) Cooler air molecules come in contact with the warm ground.
Unusually cold winters are problematic for Florida manatees. Colder air temperatures lead to colder water, which can lead to manatee illness and death. Fortunately, manatees can take shelter in warmer waters near natural springs and power plants. Which of the following accurately describes this chain of events leading to manatee illness?
A) Changes in the atmosphere cause changes to the hydrosphere, which affects the biosphere.
B) Changes in the hydrosphere cause changes to the biosphere, which affects the atmosphere.
C) Changes in the geosphere cause changes to the hydrosphere, which affects the atmosphere.
D) Changes in the atmosphere affect the cryosphere, which affects the hydrosphere.
A) Changes in the atmosphere cause changes to the hydrosphere, which affects the biosphere.
Ozone, which protects us from harmful UV radiation, occurs naturally in this layer of the atmosphere:
Stratosphere
Jet streams are high speed winds that can affect weather by
moving air masses and weather systems from one region to another.
The Sun's energy travels through space to reach Earth. This energy supplies light and heat for the planet. Heat travels in several ways through Earth's air, water and land. Which of the following methods of heat transfer ais an example of convection?
Warm air rises and displaces cooler air
Eliana measures outdoor temperatures in an area each day for a week at exactly 2:00 p.m. The temperatures she records are all between 25 °C and 30 °C. Eliana concludes that the climate of the area is tropical. What is the most important reason why her conclusion might not be correct?
A) She took the temperature readings at the same time each day.
B) She made her conclusion based only on temperature and not also on precipitation.
C) She did not calculate the average of her data.
D) She made her conclusion based on only one week of data instead of over a long period of time.
D) She made her conclusion based on only one week of data instead of over a long period of time.