Heat
How does most of the energy from the sun travel to Earth?
As radiation, moving through space in waves.
What gas makes up most of the air we breathe?
Nitrogen
What is weather?
Weather is the condition of the air (atmosphere) at a certain place and time.
This layer is where the weather happens
Troposphere
What is humidity?
The amount of water vapor in the air
What happens to sunlight after it reaches Earth’s surface?
It gets absorbed by land, water, and air, and turns into heat.
What is the second most common gas in the air that humans need to live?
Oxygen
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is short-term (day to day), while climate is the average weather over a long time.
Which layer of the atmosphere has the ozone layer?
The stratosphere.
What is the process of liquid water changing into gas called?
Evaporation
What are the three main ways heat energy is transferred in the atmosphere?
Radiation (waves), conduction (touch), and convection (movement of air or liquid).
Why does air pressure get lower the higher you go?
Because there is less air above you pushing down.
What is precipitation?
Water that falls from the sky as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
What happens to air pressure as you go higher in the atmosphere?
Air pressure gets lower.
How do clouds form?
When air rises and cools below the dew point, water droplets or ice crystals form.
In a convection current, what happens after warm air rises then cools?
The cooled air becomes denser and sinks back down.
What is the term for the water trapped in the air?
Water vapor
What does humidity measure?
The amount of water vapor in the air
Which layer of the atmosphere has the hottest temperatures?
The thermosphere.
What is it called when water vapor cools and changes back into water droplets?
Condensation
Why doesn’t all of Earth’s heat escape back into space?
Greenhouse gases trap some of the heat and send it back to Earth’s surface.
Why do temperatures go up in some layers of the atmosphere but down in others?
Because some gases absorb more heat from the sun than others.
What does a barometer measure?
Air Pressure
Which layer of the atmosphere has the coldest temperatures?
The mesosphere.
What does the "dew point" have to do with precipitation?
When the temperature of the air drops below the dew point, water in the air condenses into droplets (precipitation)