Test #2 Study Guide

Question 1

The region of the atmosphere below the 90 km of earth, the homosphere, has a near constant composition with about…

Answer 1

78% nitrogen molecule, 21 % oxygen molecule, .09% argon, and other about .01%

Question 2

Which of the following atmospheric gas species occurs in the atomic form, and not in molecular form

Answer 2

Argon

Question 3

Among the following pairs of planets, which one has carbon dioxide as being the most dominant or abundant atmospheric gas:

Answer 3

Venus and Mars

Question 4

The oxygen content of the atmosphere has changed little since about 400/500 million years ago. Which of the following has no role in maintaining this balance between loss and gain of oxygen by the atmosphere

Answer 4

Sea water temperature variation

Question 5

The escape velocity of a molecule from earth is estimated to be about

Answer 5

25,000 mph

Question 6

Through the long history of earth, the following gas is considered to have the ability to escape from earth

Answer 6

hydrogen

Question 7

The pressure of air at the sea level is

Answer 7

760 mm Hg

Question 8

The atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude because

Answer 8

the density of air decreases

Question 9

the volume of ONE molecule of air (gas) at zero decree C and 1 atmospheric pressure is about..

Answer 9

22.41 liters

Question 10

The amount of oxygen in the air is about

Answer 10

21%

Question 11

The mass of 22.41 liters of dry air at zero degree C and 1 atmospheric pressure is about

Answer 11

28.9 grams

Question 12

The maximum height of the troposphere is about

Answer 12

12 to 16 km

Question 13

The troposphere contains about

Answer 13

90% of the total air

Question 14

The thermal profile of the stratosphere is characterized by

Answer 14

increase in temperature with increase in altitude

Question 15

The thermal profile of the troposphere is due to

Answer 15

upward adiabatic expansion of the air

Question 16

The thermal profile of the stratosphere is influenced by

Answer 16

the process of ozone production

Question 17

The energy of a photon in radiation

Answer 17

increases by a decrease in wavelength

Question 18

The Sun’s outer photosphere is believed to have a temperature slightly higher than

Answer 18

5500 K

Question 19

The total energy radiated by sun is called its luminosity, which has been increasing since its formation as a star and is believed to be 30% higher since the formation of sun. Yet the geologic evidence tends to suggest that the temperature of ocean water about 3.5-3.8 billion years ago was a lot higher than that of the modern ocean. One explanation for this paradox could be that the Earth’s atmosphere had

Answer 19

higher carbon dioxide gas content

Question 20

Of the total amount of solar radiation intercepted by the earth’s atmosphere the largest amount consists of

Answer 20

infrared radiation

Question 21

The most intense part of the solar radiation is

Answer 21

the visible radiation part

Question 22

which of the following requires the lowest amount of energy

Answer 22

dissociation of a chlorine molecule into two chlorine atoms

Question 23

The part of the electromagnetic radiation that is effectively absorbed in causing vibration and rotation of the major air molecules belongs to

Answer 23

infrared radiation

Question 24

Which on of the following air components is most effective in shielding infrared radiation

Answer 24

carbon dioxide

Question 25

Assuming that the average temperature of the earth’s surface is about 17 degrees C, the wave length at which earth’s peak emission intensity occurs is

Answer 25

10 micrometer

Question 26

A radical atom or a radical molecule is a chemical species that

Answer 26

has unpaired electrons

Question 27

Molecules in the upper atmosphere are dissociated primarily by UV radiation Which one has the strongest bond so that it would require the highest energy for dissociation

Answer 27

nitrogen

Question 28

Many major atmospheric reactions int he troposphere are driven by the following radical

Answer 28

hydroxyl or OH

Question 29

The concentration of ozone is maximum at

Answer 29

upper stratospherer

Question 30

the concentration of ozone at the point of maximum concentration is about

Answer 30

10-20 ppmv

Question 31

The ozone production in the stratosphere is caused by

Answer 31

dissociation of molecular oxygen followed by combination with molecular oxygen

Question 32

In the stratosphere, ozone is commonly destroyed

Answer 32

by its reaction with an ultraviolet radiation

Question 33

Ozone destruction in the stratosphere is enhanced by several catalysts (which are chemical species that participate int he reaction without being consumed in the reaction process) This important ozone forming catalyst is identified as

Answer 33

nitric oxide