2 - Earth's Energy Budget and Atmosphere

Question 1

Potential energy formula

Answer 1

Ep = mgh
Ep = potential energy
m: mass
g: constant
h: height

Question 2

Kinetic energy formula

Answer 2

Ek = (1/2)mv^2
Ek: kinetic energy
m: mass
v: velocity

Question 3

Factors that affect the sun’s energy are…

Answer 3

Distance and inclination (23.5 deg)

Question 4

Earth’s rotation is…

Answer 4

Counterclockwise

Question 5

True or False:
Northern hemisphere > Southern hemisphere

Answer 5

True (in terms of heat production by the sun)

Question 6

Solstices and equinox

Answer 6

Winter solstice: Dec 21
Spring equinox: May 20
Summer solstice: June 21
Autumn equinox: September 22

Question 7

Surface inclination and radiation

Answer 7

When lights hit an inclined surface, some rays don’t hit the surface…
If completely horizontal, all rays will miss the surface

Ultimately, the distance affects how much energy the surface receives (the further away, the less energy)

Question 8

Air

Answer 8

Nitrogen: 78%
Oxygen: 21%
Others: 1%

Question 9

What happens when we mix gases?

Answer 9

Loss of their original property to become another form

Question 10

Space: how big is big enough?

Answer 10

Take in account pressure and temperature
Pressure: force exerted on an area
Temperature: microscopic reality, movement of the particles
Volume: space enclosed in a surface

Question 11

What is temperature?

Answer 11

A measure of the average speed of a molecule movement in a substance
Higher temp. = faster movement
Lower temp. = slower movement
Can be derived using kinetic theory of gasses

Question 12

Process of radiation

Answer 12

100% of sun’s energy emitting on the atmosphere
- Only 50% reaches the surface of the Earth, the rest gets absorbed/reflected (clouds, atmosphere, etc.)
- 7% of the 50% is convected and conducted (hot air rising and transferred)
- 23% of the 50% goes in water vapour that ends up condensating
- 20% of 50% is lost in radiation (8% goes back in the hemisphere and 12% goes out of the atmosphere)