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These are the four main layers of the atmosphere starting at Earth’s surface.
What are the Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere?
As altitude increases, this happens to air pressure.
What is it decreases?
The primary function of a wave is to transfer this—but not this.
What is energy, not matter?
This method is why you feel warm from a space heater even when you’re several feet away.
What is radiation?
Adding water vapor does this to air density.
What is it decreases density because water vapor is lighter?
Scientists identify atmospheric “pauses” by measuring these two variables that change sharply between layers.
What are temperature and pressure?
This “pause” marks the boundary between the Stratosphere and Mesosphere.
What is the Stratopause?
This wave type requires a medium; this one does not.
What is mechanical waves require a medium, electromagnetic waves do not?
Thermometers measure this weather variable.
What is temperature using instruments like digital or liquid thermometers?
Air pressure decreases with altitude because of this reason.
What is less air above you = less weight of air?
This “pause” separates the Troposphere and Stratosphere.
What is the Tropopause?
This describes how temperature changes within each layer.
What is it decreases in the troposphere, increases in the stratosphere, decreases in the mesosphere, and increases in the thermosphere?
This is the boundary between the Thermosphere and space.
What is the Thermopause?
Temperature is defined as the average energy of this molecular behavior.
What is the average kinetic energy of molecules?
High- and low-pressure systems form due to uneven heating. This is how each behaves.
What is high = sinking air, clear skies; low = rising air, clouds & storms?
This is why sunlight reaches Earth but the sound of a space explosion does not.
What is light is an electromagnetic wave that travels through vacuum; sound is mechanical and cannot?
In this wave type, matter moves parallel to wave energy; an example is sound.
What is a longitudinal wave?
Heat transfer by the movement of fluids like air and water is called this.
What is convection?
This is the key difference between heat and temperature.
What is heat is total energy; temperature is average energy?
Humidity is the amount of this in the air.
What is water vapor?
In this wave type, matter moves perpendicular to wave energy; an example is a water wave.
What is a transverse wave?
Heat transfer by direct contact between molecules is called this.
What is conduction?
Heat transferred by electromagnetic waves is called this.
What is radiation?
These four variables influence weather.
What are temperature, air pressure, humidity, and wind?
As temperature rises, humidity increases, or altitude increases, this generally happens to air pressure.
What is air pressure decreases?