EAPS 105 EXAM #3 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
The components of a primary atmosphere - Correct Answers -Hydrogen and Helium
The factors that influence a planet's escape velocity. - Correct Answers --Mass,
Universal Gravitational Constant, Radius of the planet.
-v = sqrt(2Gm/r)
-The greater the mass of the planet, the higher the velocity needed to escape its gravity.
-The greater the radius of the planet, the lower the velocity needed to escape its gravity.
The factors that influence the velocity of an atmospheric gas molecule. - Correct
Answers --Temperature
-Atomic Weight
Which planets have retained their primary atmospheres. - Correct Answers -The Gas
Giants
How the Earth obtained most of the oxygen in its atmosphere. - Correct Answers -1.
Earth could not hold onto its primary atmosphere because it had too small of an escape
velocity.
2. Volcanism brought these to too small an escape up from Earth's interior. (Water
(H20), Carbon Helium (He) Dioxide (CO2), and Ammonia (NH3))
3. Sunlight broke down NH3 into N2 and H2(H2 then escaped).
Life (microbes) converted most of the CO2 into O2.
The major differences between the atmospheres of Earth and Venus. - Correct Answers
--Atmospheric pressure is 90 times greater than on Earth.
-CO2 traps so much heat from the Sun that Venus has the hottest surface of any planet,
465°C (860°F) — hot enough to melt lead.
-Sulfuric acid clouds.
Why Mars is the most explored planet. - Correct Answers -Holds the best chance of
discovering evidence of past or present extraterrestrial life.
Where the ancient surface water on Mars disappeared to. - Correct Answers -We know
for certain that Mars had water on its surface in the past because the planet is covered
with dry river beds. And where there is water, we believe there may be life. ---------
>>>>Mars has an ocean's worth of water trapped as ice underground.
, Where the atmospheres of the giant planets get their heat from. - Correct Answers -The
immense gravitational forces are causing the giant planets to contract, which causes the
material to heat up.
The major differences between the atmospheres of Venus and Mars. - Correct Answers
--Mars and Venus have similar atmospheric chemistry, but the similarities stop there.
-Venus' atmosphere is 15,000 times denser than Mars' (Earth's atmosphere is 166
times denser than Mars').
-Despite the relative percentage of CO2 on Mars, there is not much of it and thus the
heat from the Sun is not captured to warm its surface.
What Mars' thin atmosphere implies about the force of its winds. - Correct Answers -
Because Mars' atmosphere is so thin, even high winds on Mars would not pick up
objects bigger than grains of sand.
The problem with the theory that Mars may have lost its atmosphere due to the solar
wind. - Correct Answers -If Mars lost its atmosphere from solar wind stripping, then why
has Venus not lost its atmosphere as it also does not having a magnetic field and is
even closer to the Sun?
Why the temperature of the troposphere decreases with altitude. - Correct Answers -
The troposphere is heated from the ground, causing it to be warmest near the
surface.----> As warm air rises, it expands because of less pressure with altitude,
causing it to cool (same energy in a larger volume).
Why the temperature of the stratosphere increases with altitude. - Correct Answers -
Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, causing the stratosphere to heat up
with altitude.
What the atmospheric environment is like at the top of Venus' clouds. - Correct Answers
-At the top of its troposphere the temperature and pressure are just right - but bring your
own oxygen.
What is unusually about Earth's current climate compared to past climates. - Correct
Answers -Today's temperatures are not the highest the Earth has ever seen. But the
rate of temperature increase —more than 1°C (2°F) in the past 50 years — is 10 time
faster than anytime in the past 800,000 years (the length of the temperature record).
What Milankovitch Cycles are. - Correct Answers -Past global temperature changes
have mostly been due to changes in Earth orbital parameters.
Milankovitch cycles describe the collective effects of changes in the Earth's movements
on its climate over thousands of years.
ANSWERS
The components of a primary atmosphere - Correct Answers -Hydrogen and Helium
The factors that influence a planet's escape velocity. - Correct Answers --Mass,
Universal Gravitational Constant, Radius of the planet.
-v = sqrt(2Gm/r)
-The greater the mass of the planet, the higher the velocity needed to escape its gravity.
-The greater the radius of the planet, the lower the velocity needed to escape its gravity.
The factors that influence the velocity of an atmospheric gas molecule. - Correct
Answers --Temperature
-Atomic Weight
Which planets have retained their primary atmospheres. - Correct Answers -The Gas
Giants
How the Earth obtained most of the oxygen in its atmosphere. - Correct Answers -1.
Earth could not hold onto its primary atmosphere because it had too small of an escape
velocity.
2. Volcanism brought these to too small an escape up from Earth's interior. (Water
(H20), Carbon Helium (He) Dioxide (CO2), and Ammonia (NH3))
3. Sunlight broke down NH3 into N2 and H2(H2 then escaped).
Life (microbes) converted most of the CO2 into O2.
The major differences between the atmospheres of Earth and Venus. - Correct Answers
--Atmospheric pressure is 90 times greater than on Earth.
-CO2 traps so much heat from the Sun that Venus has the hottest surface of any planet,
465°C (860°F) — hot enough to melt lead.
-Sulfuric acid clouds.
Why Mars is the most explored planet. - Correct Answers -Holds the best chance of
discovering evidence of past or present extraterrestrial life.
Where the ancient surface water on Mars disappeared to. - Correct Answers -We know
for certain that Mars had water on its surface in the past because the planet is covered
with dry river beds. And where there is water, we believe there may be life. ---------
>>>>Mars has an ocean's worth of water trapped as ice underground.
, Where the atmospheres of the giant planets get their heat from. - Correct Answers -The
immense gravitational forces are causing the giant planets to contract, which causes the
material to heat up.
The major differences between the atmospheres of Venus and Mars. - Correct Answers
--Mars and Venus have similar atmospheric chemistry, but the similarities stop there.
-Venus' atmosphere is 15,000 times denser than Mars' (Earth's atmosphere is 166
times denser than Mars').
-Despite the relative percentage of CO2 on Mars, there is not much of it and thus the
heat from the Sun is not captured to warm its surface.
What Mars' thin atmosphere implies about the force of its winds. - Correct Answers -
Because Mars' atmosphere is so thin, even high winds on Mars would not pick up
objects bigger than grains of sand.
The problem with the theory that Mars may have lost its atmosphere due to the solar
wind. - Correct Answers -If Mars lost its atmosphere from solar wind stripping, then why
has Venus not lost its atmosphere as it also does not having a magnetic field and is
even closer to the Sun?
Why the temperature of the troposphere decreases with altitude. - Correct Answers -
The troposphere is heated from the ground, causing it to be warmest near the
surface.----> As warm air rises, it expands because of less pressure with altitude,
causing it to cool (same energy in a larger volume).
Why the temperature of the stratosphere increases with altitude. - Correct Answers -
Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, causing the stratosphere to heat up
with altitude.
What the atmospheric environment is like at the top of Venus' clouds. - Correct Answers
-At the top of its troposphere the temperature and pressure are just right - but bring your
own oxygen.
What is unusually about Earth's current climate compared to past climates. - Correct
Answers -Today's temperatures are not the highest the Earth has ever seen. But the
rate of temperature increase —more than 1°C (2°F) in the past 50 years — is 10 time
faster than anytime in the past 800,000 years (the length of the temperature record).
What Milankovitch Cycles are. - Correct Answers -Past global temperature changes
have mostly been due to changes in Earth orbital parameters.
Milankovitch cycles describe the collective effects of changes in the Earth's movements
on its climate over thousands of years.
