Atmosphere

Question 1

What is the atmosphere?

Answer 1

The thin layer of gases that surround the earth

Question 2

What are the most abundant gases in the atmosphere?

Answer 2

Nitrogen and oxygen

Question 3

What is water vapor?

Answer 3

Water in its gaseous form

Question 4

How does the atmosphere make conditions on earth livable?

Answer 4

It contains oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water necessary for life - It traps heat - It protects us from the sun - It protects us from meteors

Question 5

Know all the layers of the atmosphere in order and what is special about that layer.

Answer 5

Exosphere- thinnest and least dense layer
Thermosphere- contains the ionosphere
Mesosphere- breaks up meteors
Stratosphere- most commercial airlines fly here
Troposphere- layer where weather occurs

Question 6

Know what ozone is and why it is important.

Answer 6

Ozone is gas that protects us from UV rays

Question 7

Know what the ionosphere is and why it is important.

Answer 7

The ionosphere is a layer that has electrical charge and helps transmit radio waves

Question 8

Know the three types of thermal energy and examples of each

Answer 8

Radiation- transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves
Conduction- transfer of energy by contact
Convection- transfer of energy by movement

Question 9

Know what visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared radiation are.

Answer 9

Visible light- majority of sunlight is in the form of a mixture of all the colors you see in the rainbow
Ultraviolet light- has short wavelengths and can break chemical bonds
Infrared radiation- forms of energy with wavelengths longer than visible light and is not visible but can be felt as heat

Question 10

What are greenhouse gases?

Answer 10

Gases in the earth’s atmosphere that traps heat

Question 11

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 11

Greenhouse gases allow sunlight to pass through, but prevent IR energy from escaping - warms the earth

Question 12

What are unstable conditions? What are causes and effects?

positive bouyancy

Answer 12

When a parcel of air is warmer than the environmental air and rises on its own due to positive buoyancy - caused by strong moving air (produces thunderstorms)

Question 13

What are stable conditions? What are causes and effects?

Answer 13

Weak circulating air (causes pollutants to become trapped near ground level)

Question 14

What is temperature inversion?

layer

Answer 14

A layer in the atmosphere in which air temperature increases with height (can trap pollution)

Question 15

What is the Coriolis effect?

Answer 15

Global winds following a curved path

Question 16

What are the three types of global winds?

Answer 16

Trade winds- steady winds that flow from east to west between 30oN latitude and 30oS latitude
Polar easterlies- cold winds that blow from east to west near the north and south poles
Westerlies- steady winds from west to east between latitude lines 30oN and 60oN and 30oS and 60oS
Jet streams- near the top of the troposphere, a narrow band of high winds

Question 17

What is a sea breeze?

Answer 17

The cooler air over the ocean is flowing over the land surface to replace the rising

Question 18

What is a land breeze?

Answer 18

The denser cool air over the land is flowing offshore to replenish the buoyant warm air

Question 19

What is air pollution?

Answer 19

Contamination of air by harmful substances including gases and smoke

Question 20

What is point-source pollution?

Answer 20

Pollution that comes from an identifiable source (such as large factories, power plants, volcano eruption)

Question 21

What is nonpoint-source pollution?

Answer 21

Pollution that comes from a widespread area

Question 22

What is photochemical smog?

air pollution - air and sunlight

Answer 22

Air pollution that forms from the interaction between chemicals in the air and sunlight

Question 23

Why is ozone bad at ground level?

Answer 23

It can damage tissues of plants and animals

Question 24

What does AQI stand for?

Answer 24

Air quality index

Question 25

What is particulate matter?

Answer 25

Mixture of dusts, acids, and other chemicals that can be hazardous to human health