Various Questions - Unit 13 Flashcards
Study Study Study!!
What are the major layers of the Earth, from lowest layer to highest layer?
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
What are some ways that scientists are currently learning more about the solar system?
- sending piloted spacecraft and unpiloted probes to other planets
- Telescopes
What does 14.7 psi equal in atm? in in.?
14.7 psi = 1atm = 29.9 in
Two vials contain air samples taken at different altitudes. The first is composed of:
21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and 1% other.
The other is composed of:
95% helium, 4% hydrogen, nd 1% other. Which came from the homosphere?
The first one
Which is closer to the Earth, the homosphere or the heterosphere?
the homosphere
What is the most abundant gas in the air?
Nitrogen
What two gases in air are important for life? Why?
Oxygen - Needed for living things to perform life functions
Carbon dioxide - needed for plants to produce food through photosynthesis
How do greenhouse gases help regulate Earth’s temperature?
They keep warmth from escaping the atmosphere via infrared
If you’re shivering on a cold night, are you technically shivering from heat? Why or why not?
Yes, because heat is the energy that is being transferred. The reason you are cold is because that energy is being transferred from your body to the surrounding air.
Suppose there was a layer of carbon dioxide in the mesosphere. What would happen to the temperature gradient in that region?
It would reverse, getting warmer in that region
Where is the ionosphere? What makes it useful to us?
The ionosphere is a region of the atmosphere ranging mostly in the thermosphere but extending to the meso- and exospheres. It is useful to us in radio communication, as radio signals can bounce off of it to extend their range.
Why are space probes used to explore the solar system?
They’re cheaper than piloted spacecraft
