Earth's Atmosphere 1.2

Question 1

Air pressure

Answer 1

The amount of force exerted by the air on the Earth’s surface

Question 2

What tool is used to measure air pressure?

Answer 2

A barometer is used to measure air pressure

Question 3

Air pressure always _________ with _________ height

Answer 3

Air pressure always decreases with increasing height

Question 4

What units of measure are used to measure air pressure?

Answer 4

millibars (mb), kiloPascals (kPa), or inches of mercury

Question 5

What is the converstion between millibars and kiloPascals?

Answer 5

1 millibar = 0.1 kiloPascals

Question 6

What is Earth’s average air pressure at the surface?

Answer 6

The average air pressure at the Earth’s surface is 1013 mb (101.3 kPa or 29.92 inches of mercury)

Question 7

Below ____ mb is low pressure, and above ____ mb is high pressure

Answer 7

Below 1010 mb is low pressure, and above 1020 mb is high pressure

Question 8

In the lowest levels of the atmosphere, air pressure most rapidly __________ with __________ height

Answer 8

In the lowest levels of the atmosphere, air pressure most rapidly decreases with increasing height

Question 9

As height _________, there’s less air “pressing down” on us, therefore the air pressure is _____

Answer 9

As height increases, there’s less air “pressing down” on us, therefore the air pressure is lower

Question 10

Air density _________ with __________ height

Answer 10

Air density decreases with increasing height

Question 11

Why does air density decrease with increasing height?

Answer 11

Because gravity pulls air molecules toward the surface

Question 12

Why do baseballs fly further in Denver, Colorado?

Answer 12

Because Denver has a high elevation and there are fewer air molecules to slow the ball

Question 13

What are the 3 characteristics by which the atmosphere can be divided?

Answer 13

The atmosphere can be divided into layers based on the temperature, composition, and function

Question 14

How many temperature-based atmospheric layers are there? What are they called and how are they classified?

Answer 14

There are 4 temperature-based atmospheric layers. They are the troposphere, the straosphere, the mesosphere, and the thermosphere. They are classified by observing its vertical temperature profile

Question 15

Which layer is closest to the Earth’s surface?

Answer 15

The troposphere is the layer closest to the Earth’s surface

Question 16

What is the troposphere and what is in it?

Answer 16

The troposphere is the bottom layer. It is where humans live and where weather occurs

Question 17

Why does weather occur in the troposphere?

Answer 17

Because clouds form in the troposphere

Question 18

Which atmospheric layer is the thinnest? How thin is it?

Answer 18

The troposphere is the thinnest layer. It is 11 km thick

Question 19

How is the troposphere heated?

Answer 19

The troposphere is heated by the Earth’s surface

Question 20

What is the upper boundary of the troposphere called?

Answer 20

The upper boundary of the troposphere is called the tropopause

Question 21

Which layer is second-closest to the Earth’s surface?

Answer 21

The stratosphere is the layer second-closest to the Earth’s surface

Question 22

Why does the stratosphere warm with height?

Answer 22

Because of ozone absorbing solar radiation

Question 23

In which layer is ozone mostly found?

Answer 23

Most of the ozone in the atmosphere are in the stratosphere

Question 24

Which layer is third-closest to the Earth’s surface?

Answer 24

The mesosphere is the layer third-closest to the Earth’s surface

Question 25

Unlike the stratosphere, the mesosphere _____ with height

Answer 25

Unlike the stratosphere, the mesosphere cools with height

Question 26

Why can't humans survive in the mesosphere?

Answer 26

Humans can't survive in the mesosphere because of the low oxygen levels

Question 27

Which layer is farthest from the Earth's surface?

Answer 27

The thermosphere is the layer farthest to the Earth's surface

Question 28

The thermosphere has a very low amount of _____

Answer 28

The thermosphere has a very low amount of gases

Question 29

Temperature normally _________ with __________ in the troposphere at an average of ___ per ____

Answer 29

Temperature normally decreases with increasing in the troposphere at an average of 6.5°C per 100m

Question 30

What is the environmental lapse rate?

Answer 30

The rate in which temperature decreases with increasing height

Question 31

What phenomenon explains why there is still snow on the Rocky Mountains in summer?

Answer 31

The environmental lapse rate explains why there is still snow on the Rocky Mountains in summer

Question 32

What is an area where temperature increases with height?

Answer 32

An inversion is where the temperature increases with height

Question 33

How many composition-based atmospheric layers are there? What are they called and how are they classified?

Answer 33

There are 2 composition-based atmospheric layers. They are called the heterosphere and the homosphere, and they are classified by observing the location of gases

Question 34

Is the heterosphere knows as the outer or inner layer? From what distance?

Answer 34

The heterosphere is knows as the outer atmosphere. From 80 km upwards

Question 35

What does heterosphere mean?

Answer 35

Heterosphere means that the gases are well-sorted by gravity

Question 36

Is the homosphere knows as the outer or inner layer? From what distance?

Answer 36

The homosphere is knows as the inner atmosphere. It extendes from the Earth's surface to 80 km upwards.

Question 37

What does homosphere mean?

Answer 37

Homosphere means that the gases are evenly mixed together

Question 38

How many function-based atmospheric layers are there? What are they called?

Answer 38

There are 2 function-based atmospheric layers. They are called the ionosphere and the ozonosphere

Question 39

Which temperature-based atmospheric layers does the ionosphere encompass?

Answer 39

The ionosphere encompasses the thermosphere and the mesosphere

Question 40

What is the function of the ionosphere?

Answer 40

The function of the ionosphere is to absorb cosmic rays, gamma rays, x-rays, and some UV rays

Question 41

Where is the ozonosphere located?

Answer 41

The ozonosphere is located within the stratosphere

Question 42

What is the function of the ozonosphere?

Answer 42

The fuction of the ozonosphere is to absorb UV radiation and convert it into heat energy