The Atmosphere
What is atmospheric pressure
The pressure exerted by the atmosphere on all objects within it
The earth's atmosphere is divided into two layers - what are they?
Homosphere and Heterosphere
What are the three layers of the homosphere?
Troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere
What is heat?
energy that is transferred as a consequence of temperature differences
Where is the ozone "hole" located?
Over Antarctica
what are the two layers of the heterosphere?
Thermosphere and exosphere
At sea level, what is the average weight of the atmosphere pressing down on every square inch of the earth?
14.7 lbs
In which layer of the atmosphere is the air that we breathe?
The homosphere
What are the names of the boundaries between these regions of the atmosphere?
Tropopause, stratopause, and mesopause
What is temperature?
A measure of the energy of random motion in a substance's molecules
What does CFC stand for and what are they?
Chlorofluorocarbons. Useful, human-made substances used for sterilization, fire-fighting, factories, air conditioning, and more.
What is the "interesting effect" of the thermosphere?
Low vs High temperatures based on interpretation
Why don't we feel the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on us?
Because their is equal pressure on all sides including from within
What does the term "homosphere" have to do with the composition of air within this layer?
The air in the homosphere is uniform in its composition regardless of where you are in the homosphere
Which layer is the earth's "weather layer"?
The troposphere
How does a thermometer determine a substance's temperature?
Collisions occurring between the substance and the thermometer transfer energy to or from the thermometer depending on the substances temperature
Which treaty was signed to eliminate CFC production and consumption?
The Montreal Protocol on Substances
What is an ion?
At atom that has become electronically charged
Will atmospheric pressure increase or decrease with increasing altitude?
decrease
Which three gases make up the heterosphere?
oxygen, hydrogen, and helium
What are jet streams?
Narrow bands of high speed winds that circle the earth, blowing from east to west
The average speed of a substances molecules
Describe the polar vortex and how it transfers CFCs into the ozone layer?
Tiny ice particles -> wind blows them into stratosphere -> chemical reactions break apart the chlorine causing it to destroy ozone
How does the ionosphere help transmit certain types of radio signals?
The bounce off the ionosphere
How does a barometer measure atmospheric pressure?
When the pressure of the atmosphere equals the weight of the water in the tube of a barometer, we can determine atmospheric pressure
How high above sea level does the homosphere extend?
80 km (50 miles)
What causes the temperature gradient to reverse in the stratosphere and then again in the mesosphere?
The ozone layer
Explain why our bodies get hot when the temperature is hot outside?
Because energy is transferred from the air to our skin
How is the elimination of CFCs benefitting or harming the ozone "hole" and also society?
cost/benefit analysis
what is the aurora borealis and the aurora australis?
high energy collisions in the ionosphere