Atmosphere

Question 0

What are the 2 important functions of the atmosphere?

Answer 0

1. Protect you from the sun’s damaging rays

2. Help maintain the right temperature range for life on Earth.

Question 1

What is the atmosphere?

Answer 1

The mixture of gases that surrounds Earth.

Question 2

What gases make up the atmosphere and how much of each?

Answer 2

78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% other gases

Question 3

What is the atmosphere made of besides gases?

Answer 3

Small particles such as dust, volcanic ash, sea salt, and smoke. There are even small pieces of skin, bacteria, and pollen.

Question 4

What is the measure of the force with which air molecules push past an area of a surface?

Answer 4

Air pressure

Question 5

How does air pressure change throughout the atmosphere?

Answer 5

As altitude increases, air pressure decreases.

There are fewer and fewer gas molecules in the air as you move away from Earth’s surface.

Question 6

Air temperature changes as ———- increases.

Answer 6

Altitude

Question 7

Why are some parts of the atmosphere warmer?

Answer 7

They contain a high percentage of gases that absorb solar energy.

Question 8

What makes the atmosphere cooler?

Answer 8

It contains less gases that absorb solar energy.

Question 9

What are the 4 layers of the atmosphere?

Answer 9

Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Troposphere

Question 10

What is the uppermost layer of the atmosphere?

Answer 10

Thermosphere

Question 11

In the thermosphere, temperature ——- as altitude ——. Why?

Answer 11

Increases, increases

Gases in the thermosphere absorb high-energy solar radiation.

Question 12

Where is the mesosphere located?

Answer 12

Between the thermosphere and the stratosphere

Question 13

In the mesosphere, temperature ——- as altitude ——–.

Answer 13

Decreases, increases

Question 14

Where is the stratosphere located?

Answer 14

Between the mesosphere and the troposphere.

Question 15

In the stratosphere, temperatures generally ——— as altitude ———.

Answer 15

Increase, increases

Question 16

What is the lowest layer of the atmosphere?

Answer 16

Troposphere

Question 17

In the troposphere, temperature ——– as altitude ——–.

Answer 17

Decreases, increases

Question 18

What in the stratosphere absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun warming the air?

Answer 18

Ozone

Question 19

What happens to meteoroids in the mesosphere?

Answer 19

They begin to burn up.

Question 20

What is the densest layer of the atmosphere?

Answer 20

Troposphere

Question 21

Which layer has almost all of Earth’s carbon dioxide, water vapor, clouds, air pollution, weather, and life forms?

Answer 21

Troposphere

Question 22

How does the atmosphere protect life on Earth?

Answer 22

1. It provides the air we breathe.
2. It protects Earth from harmful solar radiation and space debris.
3. It controls the temperature.

Question 23

Where is the ozone layer?

Answer 23

In the stratosphere

Question 24

What does the ozone layer absorb?

Answer 24

Solar radiation

Question 25

What is the “ozone hole”?

Answer 25

The area with a very thin ozone layer.

Question 26

What is the process by which gases in the atmosphere, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide, absorb and give off infrared radiation?

Answer 26

Greenhouse effect

Question 27

What are 2 examples of greenhouse gases?

Answer 27

Water vapor

Carbon dioxide

Question 28

What happens to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?

Answer 28

Some is absorbed by Earth’s surface.

Some energy goes out into space.

Question 29

As altitude increases, air pressure ——-.

Answer 29

Decreases

Question 30

The ——- is a mixture of gases the surrounds Earth.

Answer 30

Atmosphere

Question 31

What layer of the atmosphere contains 80% of the atmosphere’s total mass?

Answer 31

Troposphere