Earth Science Test 2

Question 1

Force per unit area that one object exerts on another

Answer 1

Pressure

Question 2

A measure of the amount of force per area, that a gas exerts against containing wall

Answer 2

GP

Question 3

What percent in Nitrogen in the Earth’s Atmosphere?

Answer 3

78%

Question 4

What percent of Oxygen is in the Earth’s atmosphere?

Answer 4

21%

Question 5

What are the layers of the atmosphere?

Answer 5

Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Ionosphere, and Exosphere.

Question 6

Lowest and Thinnest layer, 90% of atmosphere’s mass, where weather occurs, temp decreases w/altitude, Top of it averages -50 C

Answer 6

Troposphere

Question 7

Top of troposhere to 50km above surface, ozone layer absorbs harmful UV radiation, temp increases because of ozone absorption of UV radiation

Answer 7

Stratosphere

Question 8

JUST GETS COLDER

Answer 8

Mesosphere

Question 9

Temp increases w. altitude (temp is related to average speed of gas molecules, very high speed gives higher temps, temps up to 1500C), very low density of gas molecules means very little heat absorption-it would feel cold, feels this way bc of very little gas molecules

Answer 9

Thermosphere

Question 10

SPACE!!! Gradual (gets colder due to being further from heat source (Earth), ozone picks up UV light (absorbs it)

Answer 10

Exosphere

Question 10

Solar intensity is _________ where the sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface _______

Answer 10

Highest, Straight on

Question 11

Solar Intensity is __________ where sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface at an ________

Answer 11

weaker, angle

Question 12

Greenhouse Gas Effect

Answer 12

Human activities pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, CFCs.
The result is a warming Earth.

Question 13

Why do we have seasons?

Answer 13

Variation in solar intensity with latitude and the tilt of the Earth’s axis helps to explain the different seasons.
When the Sun’s rays are closest to perpendicular at any spot on the Earth, that region’s season is summer.

Six months later, as the rays fall upon the same region more obliquely, the season is winter.

In between are the seasons fall and spring.

Question 14

Force atmosphere exerts on a surface (at any level in the atmosphere, force = total weight of air above that level, at higher elevations, w/fewer air molecules, pressure is less)

Answer 14

Atmospheric Pressure

Question 15

Convection Cycle:
- Warm air parcel rises; Cooler air parcel sinks
- Warm air is less dense than cool air
Convection currents stir the wind:
- Wind is air that flows horizontally from higher
pressure to lower pressure.
- The greater the pressure gradient, the
stronger the wind.

Pressure differences are caused by uneven heating of the Earth’s surface.

Local differences in heating contribute to small-scale local winds.

Planet-scale differences occur because of solar intensity variations—equatorial regions have greater solar intensity than polar regions.

Differences contribute to global wind patterns—prevailing winds.

Answer 15

Temp-Pressure Relationship

Question 16

Warm air characteristics Temp Pressure Relateionship

Answer 16

Warm air expands
Warm air has lower density and lower pressure

Question 17

Cool Air characteristics Temp pressure Relationship

Answer 17

Cool air contracts
Cool air has higher density and higher pressure

Question 18

Pressure Gradient force

Answer 18

land to sea, sea to land

High-Low, Low-High Pressure

Air moves from high to low pressure
(THINK OF ONE FUN LAB)

Question 19

Moving bodies (such as air) deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, to the left in the Southern Hemisphere

Answer 19

The Coriolis Force

Question 20

Northern Hemisphere gets deflected to the ______

Answer 20

Right

Question 21

Southern Hemisphere gets deflected to the ______

Answer 21

Left

Question 22

The pressure gradient force: air moves from high pressure to low pressure
The Coriolis force: apparent deflection of winds due to Earth’s rotation
Frictional force: air moving close to ground encounters friction

Answer 22

Factors that affect wind

Question 23

STUDY WEATHER STATION SYMBOLS

Answer 23

DO IT

Question 24

Four factors influence the weather:

Answer 24

Atmospheric moisture
Temperature
Air pressure
Arrangement of land and water features

Question 25

The mass of water vapor a given volume of air contains.

Answer 25

Humidity

Question 26

Relative humidity is the ratio:

Answer 26

Amount of water vapor in the air DIVIDED BY Amount of water vaper the air can hold at that temperature

Question 27

the amount of water vapor in the air.
g H20/ kg air

Answer 27

Absolute Humidity (Specific Humidity)

Question 28

the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the air’s capacity for water vapor

Answer 28

Relative Humidity

Question 29

the temperature at which the air will become saturated

Answer 29

Dew Point

Question 30

_________ __________occur when air is expanded or compressed without heat exchange. (caused by changing VOL) Think about balloon drawing

Answer 30

Adiabatic Processes

Question 31

Three types of Atmospheric Lifting

Answer 31

Convectional, Orographic, and Frontal Lifting

Question 32

Convectional Lifting

Answer 32

Cumulus Clouds

Question 33

Orographic Lifting

Answer 33

Rain Shadow (Mountain ranges like Hawaii, One side is green and rainy, other side is dry)

Question 34

Frontal Lifting

Answer 34

cirrus clouds changing to cumulonimbus clouds

Question 35

Cold air is going UNDER hot air, this is where severe weather can occur, warm air is lifted abruptly

Answer 35

Cold Front

Question 36

Warm air gently lifts over cool air, and slides across it rises as it goes. Stable Conditions

Answer 36

Warm Front