Vocab
mixture of gases that surrounds a planet, moon, or other celestial body
atmosphere
What altitude does the troposphere span from?
earth's surface 0 to 10-12 km
What is the atmosphere made up of? Include %
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% other gases
As altitude increases, what happens to air pressure in the troposphere?
decreases
the measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface
air pressure
What altitude does the thermosphere span from?
80 km to 500-1,000 km
The troposphere is the (least/most) dense layer. It makes up ____% of the atmosphere.
most
90%
As altitude increases, what happens to temperature in the troposphere?
decreases
the layer of the atmosphere at an altitude of 15-40 Km in which ozone absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation
ozone layer
What altitude does the stratosphere span from?
10-12 km to 50 km
What are the 3 main greenhouse gases?
Give an example of the greenhouse effect explaining it.
carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor
car gets hot in the summer- traps heat in
As altitude increases, what happens to temperature in the mesosphere?
What is special about the mesosphere?
decrease
top is coldest part of atmosphere
warming of the surface & lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when water vapor, carbon dioxide, & other gases absorb & reradiate energy
greenhouse effect
What altitude does the mesosphere span from?
50 km- 80 km
Above sea level we have 2 lbs of air pressure on us on our body, explain why it doesn't feel like it.
coming from all directions
they balance out
As altitude increases, what happens to temperature in the stratosphere?
increase
What are the layers in order- Earth's surface up?
troposphere, stratosphere (ozone layer), mesosphere, thermosphere
What altitude does the ozone layer span to?
15-40 km
Why is the atmosphere important?
protects us from asteroids
keeps us warm enough to live
oxygen to breathe
absorbs harmful uv rays
As altitude increases in the thermosphere, temperature ____________. Explain how it feels there and why.
increases
not very hot, very little particle collisions