ATMOS1010 CH 1-3 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
___% of Earth's atmosphere's _____ is within __mi of the surface - Answers - 80, mass,
8
the atmosphere is ___% N, ___% O, and __% other gases - Answers - 78, 21, 1
water vapor content varies from __ _____ _________ to __% - Answers - a tiny fraction,
4
paleoclimatology - Answers - study of Earth's early atmosphere
Describe how Earth's atmosphere formed. - Answers - - icy comets from outer solar
system collided with Earth
- elements in comets were buried in crust then released through volcanoes
- used to be made of water vapor and CO2
- after conditions cooled, water vapor fell and formed oceans
- cyanobacteria in oceans produced first oxygen which was released into atmosphere
once oceans were saturated
Pressure (definition, measured in _________, proportional to ________, sea level
pressure) - Answers - - force per surface area due to collisions of atmospheric particles
- in meteorology, measured in in, mmHg, or mB
- directly proportional to density
- sea level pressure is 29.92in
temperature (definition, some important temperatures) - Answers - - average speed of
molecules in atmosphere
- measured in K, C, and F
- 0C=32F=273K
- 100C=212F=373K
- 0K: absolute zero (particles do not move at all)
Gas Law - Answers - pressure = constant x density x absolute temperature
atmospheric pressure depends on ___________ - Answers - elevation
characteristics of troposphere - Answers - - from surface to 6mi (10km) up
- temperature decreases with height
- where most weather takes place
characteristics of stratosphere - Answers - - from 6mi (10km) to 30mi (50km)
- temperature increases with height because of absorption of UV rays
- acts as a lid on weather in the troposphere
___% of Earth's atmosphere's _____ is within __mi of the surface - Answers - 80, mass,
8
the atmosphere is ___% N, ___% O, and __% other gases - Answers - 78, 21, 1
water vapor content varies from __ _____ _________ to __% - Answers - a tiny fraction,
4
paleoclimatology - Answers - study of Earth's early atmosphere
Describe how Earth's atmosphere formed. - Answers - - icy comets from outer solar
system collided with Earth
- elements in comets were buried in crust then released through volcanoes
- used to be made of water vapor and CO2
- after conditions cooled, water vapor fell and formed oceans
- cyanobacteria in oceans produced first oxygen which was released into atmosphere
once oceans were saturated
Pressure (definition, measured in _________, proportional to ________, sea level
pressure) - Answers - - force per surface area due to collisions of atmospheric particles
- in meteorology, measured in in, mmHg, or mB
- directly proportional to density
- sea level pressure is 29.92in
temperature (definition, some important temperatures) - Answers - - average speed of
molecules in atmosphere
- measured in K, C, and F
- 0C=32F=273K
- 100C=212F=373K
- 0K: absolute zero (particles do not move at all)
Gas Law - Answers - pressure = constant x density x absolute temperature
atmospheric pressure depends on ___________ - Answers - elevation
characteristics of troposphere - Answers - - from surface to 6mi (10km) up
- temperature decreases with height
- where most weather takes place
characteristics of stratosphere - Answers - - from 6mi (10km) to 30mi (50km)
- temperature increases with height because of absorption of UV rays
- acts as a lid on weather in the troposphere
