Monday, February 10, 2014

ATMOSPHERE LAYERS - REVIEW & QUIZ

GasSymbolContent
NitrogenN278.084%99.998%
OxygenO220.947%
ArgonAr0.934%
Carbon dioxideCO20.033%
NeonNe18.20 parts per million
HeliumHe5.20 parts per million
KryptonKr1.10 parts per million
Sulfur dioxideSO21.00 parts per million
MethaneCH42.00 parts per million
HydrogenH20.50 parts per million
Nitrous oxideN2O0.50 parts per million
XenonXe0.09 parts per million
OzoneO30.07 parts per million
Nitrogen dioxideNO20.02 parts per million
IodineI20.01 parts per million
Carbon monoxideCOtrace
AmmoniaNH3trace
REVIEW: 
  
Read the information on the layers of earth's atmosphere & complete the quiz.

The atmosphere is a cloud of gas and suspended solids extending from the Earth's surface out many thousands of miles, becoming increasingly thinner with distance but always held by the Earth's gravitational pull.
The atmosphere is made up of layers. it surrounds the Earth and holds the air we breathe; it protects us from outer space; and holds moisture (clouds), gases, and tiny particles. In short, the atmosphere is the protective bubble we live in.
This protective bubble consists of several gases (listed in the table to the right) with the top four making up 99.998% of all gases. 
Of the dry composition of the atmosphere nitrogen, by far, is the most common. 
  • Nitrogen dilutes oxygen and prevents rapid burning at the Earth's surface. Living things need it to make proteins. 
  • Oxygen is used by all living things and is essential for respiration.
The envelope of gas surrounding the Earth changes from the ground up. Five distinct layers have been identified using...
  • thermal characteristics (temperature changes),
  • chemical composition,
  • movement, & density.
Each of the layers are bounded by "pauses" where the greatest changes in thermal characteristics, chemical composition, movement, and density occur.

Exosphere
This is the outermost layer of the atmosphere. It extends from the top of the thermosphere to 6,200 miles (10,000 km) above the earth. In this layer, atoms and molecules escape into space and satellites orbit the earth. At the bottom of the exosphere is the thermopause located around 375 miles (600 km) above the earth.  
Thermosphere
Between about 53 miles (85 km) and 375 miles (600 km) lies the thermosphere. This layer is known as the upper atmosphere.   
While still extremely thin, the gases of the thermosphere become increasingly more dense as one descends toward the earth. As such, incoming high energy ultraviolet and x-ray radiation from the sun begins to be absorbed by the molecules in this layer and causes a large temperature increase. 
Because of this absorption, the temperature increases with height. From as low as -184°F (-120°C) at the bottom of this layer, temperatures can reach as high as 3,600°F (2,000°C) near the top.  

However, despite the high temperature, this layer of the atmosphere would still feel very cold to our skin due to the very thin atmosphere. The high temperature indicates the amount of the energy absorbed by the molecules but with so few in this layer, the total number of molecules is not enough to heat our skin.
This absorption of radiation is also responsible for the Ionosphere. Located within the thermosphere, the ionosphere is made of electrically charged gas particles (ionized). The ionosphere extends from 37 to 190 miles (60-300 km) above the earth's surface. It is divided into three regions or layers; the F-Region, E-Layer and D-layer. During the daytime the F-Layer splits into two layers then recombines at night.

Since the ionosphere's existence is due to radiation from the sun striking the atmosphere, it changes in density from daytime to nighttime. 

Mesosphere
This layer extends from around 31 miles (50 km) above the Earth's surface to 53 miles (85 km). The gases, including the oxygen molecules, continue to become more dense as one descends. As such, temperatures increase as one descends rising to about 5°F (-15°C) near the bottom of this layer.

The gases in the mesosphere are now thick enough to slow down meteors hurtling into the atmosphere, where they burn up, leaving fiery trails in the night sky. Both the stratosphere (next layer down) and the mesosphere are considered the middle atmosphere.

The transition boundary which separates the mesosphere from the stratosphere is called the stratopause.
Stratosphere
The Stratosphere extends around 31 miles (50 km) down to anywhere from 4 to 12 miles (6 to 20 km) above the Earth's surface. This layer holds 19 percent of the atmosphere's gases but very little water vapor.

In this region the temperature increases with height. Heat is produced in the process of the formation of Ozone and this heat is responsible for temperature increases from an average -60°F (-51°C) at tropopause to a maximum of about 5°F (-15°C) at the top of the stratosphere.

This increase in temperature with height means warmer air is located above cooler air. This prevents "convection" as there is no upward vertical movement of the gases. As such the location of the bottom of this layer is readily seen by the 'anvil-shaped' tops of cumulonimbus clouds.
Troposphere
Known as the lower atmosphere almost all weather occurs in this region. The troposphere begins at the Earth's surface and extends from 4 to 12 miles (6 to 20 km) high.

The height of the troposphere varies from the equator to the poles. At the equator it is around 11-12 miles (18-20 km) high, at 50°N and 50°S, 5½ miles and at the poles just under four miles high.
]As the density of the gases in this layer decrease with height, the air becomes thinner. Therefore, the temperature in the troposphere also decreases with height in response. As one climbs higher, the temperature drops from an average around 62°F (17°C) to -60°F (-51°C) at the tropopause.
[please note you will be held responsible for reading a graph]

 TAKE THE QUIZ & TURN IN TO DRAWER.  
  • WRITE THE ANSWER ONLY NEXT TO THE QUESTION NUMBER.  
  • Make sure your name & title of quiz is on your paper.  
QUIZ - ATMOSPHERE 

 Question 1
Heat travels though empty space by:





Question 2
The region of the atmosphere that reflects radio signals is the _______________.





Question 3
Air pressure is measured with





Question 4
The layer of the atmosphere where most of the world's weather occurs is:






Question 5
Light colored objects absorb radiation ____________ and emit radiation ___________ than dark colored objects.





Question 6
If you feel the heat in the handle of a cooking pot, that heat was transferred to the handle by:




Question 7
The gas which comprises most of the atmosphere is:





Question 8
The tropopause is highest at the north and south poles.



Question 9
One inch of rainfall over one square mile is how many gallons of water?





Question 10
The top three gases in the atmosphere are



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