Exam 1 - Practice Questions Flashcards by Dhruvi Shah

What is the difference between weather and climate?
a. Weather is what you expect, and climate is what you get.
b. Weather is long-term, and climate is short-term.
c. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular time and place, while climate is the average weather over a long period.
d. Weather and climate are interchangeable terms.

c. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular time and place, while climate is the average weather over a long period.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What were the main components of Earth’s first atmosphere?
a. Nitrogen and oxygen
b. Hydrogen and helium
c. Carbon dioxide and water vapor
d. Methane and ammonia

b. Hydrogen and Helium

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Where did the oxygen in Earth’s current atmosphere originate?
a. Volcanic eruptions
b. Photosynthesis by plants
c. Dissolved in oceans
d. Released from rocks and minerals

b. Photosynthesis by plants

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the most abundant variable gas in the atmosphere?
a. Carbon dioxide
b. Water vapor
c. Methane
d. Ozone

b. Water vapor

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the primary effect of “good ozone” in the atmosphere?
a. Causes photochemical smog
b. Absorbs harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation
c. Increases global temperatures
d. Traps infrared radiation

b. Absorbs harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Which of the following absorbs the most infrared radiation in the atmosphere?
a. Nitrogen
b. Oxygen
c. Water vapor and carbon dioxide
d. Argon

c. Water vapor and carbon dioxide

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What happens to atmospheric pressure as altitude increases?
a. It increases steadily.
b. It decreases rapidly at first, then more slowly.
c. It remains constant.
d. It fluctuates depending on temperature.

b. It decreases rapidly at first, then more slowly.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Which layer of the atmosphere is primarily heated by the absorption of solar UV radiation by ozone?
a. Troposphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Mesosphere
d. Thermosphere

b. Stratosphere

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What does Wien’s Law state?
a. Objects with a higher temperature emit more radiation at all wavelengths.
b. Good absorbers are good emitters at the same wavelength.
c. The higher the object’s temperature, the shorter the wavelength of emitted radiation.
d. Radiation intensity is proportional to the fourth power of the object’s temperature.

c. The higher the object’s temperature, the shorter the wavelength of emitted radiation.

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Convert 25°C to Fahrenheit.
Formula: F = 1.8 × C + 32
a. 45°F
b. 72°F
c. 77°F
d. 82°F

Answer: c
Solution: F = 1.8 × 25 + 32 = 77°F

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Convert 68°F to Celsius.
Formula: 𝐶 = (𝐹 −32) / 1.8
a. 15°C
b. 20°C
c. 25°C
d. 30°C

Answer: b
Solution: C = (68−32) / 1.8 = 20°C

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the pressure in Pascals at sea level if the atmospheric pressure is 1013.25 hPa?
Conversion: 1hPa=100Pa
a. 101325 Pa
b. 1013.25 Pa
c. 101.325 Pa
d. 10132.5 Pa

Answer: a
Solution: 1013.25 hPa × 100 = 101325 Pa

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Calculate the energy required to raise the temperature of 500 g of water by 10°C.
Formula: Δ𝑄 = 𝑚 ⋅ 𝐶𝑝 ⋅ Δ𝑇
Specific heat capacity of water: 𝐶𝑝 = 4186 J/kg°C
a. 20, 930 J
b. 209, 300 J
c. 104, 650 J
d. 41, 860 J

Answer: a
Solution:
Convert mass to kg: 500 g = 0.5 kg
Δ𝑄 = 0.5 ⋅ 4186 ⋅ 10 = 20930 J

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Which of the following is the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere?
a. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
b. Methane (CH4)
c. Water vapor (H2O)
d. Ozone (O3)

c. Water vapor (H2O)

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What causes the long-term changes in atmospheric CO2 levels?
a. Photosynthesis by plants
b. Volcanic eruptions
c. Burning fossil fuels
d. Respiration by animals

c. Burning fossil fuels

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the albedo of Earth’s surface?
a. 0%
b. 15%
c. 30%
d. 50%

c. 30%

Which layer of the atmosphere experiences a decrease in temperature with height due to the lack of ozone heating?
a. Troposphere
b. Mesosphere
c. Stratosphere
d. Thermosphere

b. Mesosphere

What is the unit used to measure atmospheric pressure on surface weather maps?
a. Joules (J)
b. Pascals (Pa)
c. Millibars (mb)
d. Watts (W)

c. Millibars (mb)

Which of the following is a source of aerosols in the atmosphere?
a. Photosynthesis
b. Forest fires
c. Respiration
d. Solar radiation

b. Forest fires

What is the principal cause of Earth’s seasons?
a. Earth’s distance from the Sun
b. The tilt of Earth’s axis
c. The elliptical orbit of Earth
d. Variations in solar output

b. The tilt of Earth’s axis

Which of the following describes the “bad” ozone?
a. Found in the stratosphere and protects life from harmful UV radiation
b. Found in the troposphere and contributes to photochemical smog
c. Essential for respiration and plant growth
d. Absorbs infrared radiation and acts as a greenhouse gas

b. Found in the troposphere and contributes to photochemical smog

What is the primary source of nitrogen (N2) in the atmosphere?
a. Photosynthesis by plants
b. Volcanic activity
c. Burning of fossil fuels
d. Chemical reactions in the ocean

b. Volcanic activity

Why does water vapor play a significant role in Earth’s greenhouse effect?
a. It has the highest concentration among variable gases.
b. It absorbs and re-emits thermal energy emitted by Earth.
c. It reflects solar radiation back to space.
d. It creates clouds that block sunlight.

b. It absorbs and re-emits thermal energy emitted by Earth.

Which of the following gases is considered a “permanent gas” in the atmosphere?
a. Water vapor (H2O)
b. Nitrogen (N2)
c. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
d. Methane (CH4)

b. Nitrogen (N2)

What happens to the temperature in the troposphere as altitude increases? a. It increases steadily. b. It decreases at a rate of approximately 6.5 K/km. c. It remains constant. d. It decreases sharply, then increases.

b. It decreases at a rate of approximately 6.5 K/km.

What are the primary sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere? a. Respiration by animals and photosynthesis by plants b. Burning fossil fuels, volcanoes, and respiration by animals c. Volcanoes and photosynthesis by plants d. Oceans and aerosols

b. Burning fossil fuels, volcanoes, and respiration by animals

What is the relationship between temperature and molecular motion? a. Higher temperatures correspond to slower molecular motion. b. Higher temperatures correspond to faster molecular motion. c. Temperature has no impact on molecular motion. d. Molecular motion decreases when the temperature rises.

b. Higher temperatures correspond to faster molecular motion.

Which of the following describes sensible heat? a. The heat required to change a substance's phase without changing its temperature b. The heat that is felt and measured with a thermometer c. The heat absorbed by water vapor during evaporation d. The heat emitted by an object at a temperature above absolute zero

b. The heat that is felt and measured with a thermometer

Which atmospheric gas absorbs the most thermal infrared radiation? a. Oxygen (O2) b. Nitrogen (N2) c. Water vapor (H2O) d. Argon (Ar)

c. Water vapor (H2O)

Which of the following best explains why Earth’s temperature is warmer during summer in the Northern Hemisphere? a. The Earth is closer to the Sun during this time. b. The tilt of the Earth’s axis causes higher solar angles and longer daylight hours. c. The Sun emits more energy during summer. d. Atmospheric pressure is higher during summer.

b. The tilt of Earth’s axis causes higher solar angles and longer daylight hours.

Which of the following is an example of heat transfer via convection? a. Heat transferred through a metal rod b. Heat transferred by the Sun to Earth through space c. Warm air rising and cooler air sinking in the atmosphere d. Heat transfer between objects in direct contact

c. Warm air rising and cooler air sinking in the atmosphere

What is the wavelength of maximum solar radiation, according to Wien's Law? a. 10μm b. 0.5μm c. 1.0μm d. 0.05μm

b. 0.5μm

What is the fraction of solar energy reflected back to space by Earth known as? a. Greenhouse effect b. Albedo c. Infrared radiation d. Absorption rate

b. Albedo

What causes the "greenhouse effect" on Earth? a. Reflection of visible light by clouds b. Absorption and re-emission of infrared radiation by gases like water vapor and CO2 c. Scattering of sunlight by aerosols d. Blocking of UV radiation by the ozone layer

Answer: b

What is the approximate temperature of Earth without the greenhouse effect? a. 14°C b. 0°C c. -18°C d. 25°C

Answer: c

Which feedback mechanism is associated with melting ice and reduced albedo? a. Water-vapor feedback b. Carbon-cycle feedback c. Albedo feedback d. Radiation feedback

Answer: c

Why does the mesosphere experience decreasing temperatures with altitude? a. Lack of ozone heating b. High absorption of UV radiation c. Presence of dense atmospheric layers d. Rapid cooling due to greenhouse gases

Answer: a

Which type of radiation is emitted by Earth? a. Shortwave radiation b. Ultraviolet radiation c. Visible light radiation d. Longwave infrared radiation

Answer: d

What is the temperature of absolute zero in Kelvin (K)? a. 0 K b. 100 K c. 273 K d. -273 K

Answer: a