Assignment Worksheet
Chapter 1: Questions for Review (pg. 26)
1) List the four most abundant gases in today's atmosphere.
2) What are the two most abundant greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
3)
a) Explain the concept of air pressure in terms of weight of air above some level.
b) Why does air pressure always decrease with increasing height above the surface?
4) How does weather differ from climate?
Chapter 1: Questions for Thought and Exploration (pg. 27)
1) Which of the following statements relate more to weather and which relate more to climate?
a) The summers here are warm and humid.
b) Cumulus clouds presently cover the entire sky.
c) Our lowest temperature last winter was -29 °C (-18°F).
d) The air temperature outside is 22 °C (72 °F).
e) December is our foggiest month.
f) The highest temperature ever recorded in Pheonixville, Pennsylvania, was 44 °C (111 °F) on July 10, 1936.
g) Snow is falling at the rate of 5 cm (2 in.) per hour.
h) The average temperature for the month of January in Chicago, Illinois, is -3 °C (26 °F).
Chapter 2: Questions for Review (pg. 55-56)
1) Distinguish between temperature and heat.
2) Explain how heat is transferred in our atmosphere by:
a) Conduction
b) Convection
c) Radiation
3) How does the amount of radiation emitted by the Earth differ from that emitted by the Sun?
4) During the Northern Hemisphere's summer, the daylight hours in northern latitudes are longer than in middle latitudes. Explain why northern latitudes are not warmer.
Chapter 2: Questions for Thought and Exploration (pg. 56)
1) Which do you feel would have the greatest effect on the Earth's greenhouse effect: removing all of the CO2 from the atmosphere or removing all of the water vapor? Explain your answer.
Short Answer:
1. Describe the nature of the temperature lapse rate in each of the four layers of the atmosphere (Troposphere; Stratosphere; Mesosphere; Thermosphere), and why the Tropospheric and Stratospheric temperatures change the way they do.
2. Using Figure 1.8 from your textbook, find the approximate altitude in BOTH kilometers and miles for the following atmospheric pressures
Altitude (above sea level) (km)
Altitude (above sea level) (miles)
800 mb
500 mb
250 mb
1 mb
The Tropopause and Stratopause
3. Explain how the Greenhouse Effect works and why the term ‘greenhouse' isn't the most representative of the process. (Hint: start reading page 39). Make sure to describe what type of radiation greenhouse gases do, and do not interact with, as well as the sources for those types of radiation.
4. Challenge question: Pretend you are the first scientist to observe the temperature of the Moon. The first thing you should do is compare the Moon's temperature with temperatures on Earth. List units!
a. In your "log" below, list the temperature range for the Surface of Earth vs. the Moon.
Coldest Temperatures
Hottest Temperatures
Earth
Moon
Being a good scientist, you rely on the scientific method to try and explain what you have observed. Here's what the scientific method can already tell you.
- The Moon has no atmosphere, and hence no greenhouse effect
- The Moon has a higher albedo than the Earth.
- Relative to the Sun, the Earth completes one rotational cycle per day, while the moon takes about 27 times longer. (Sidenote: 27 days is how long it takes the moon to complete a full cycle of phases--we often call this the lunar cycle!) ***Hint...consider how the rotation speed changes the length of daytime and nighttime for a given spot on the object.
b. From the above list of what you know about each celestial body, form a hypothesis for why the difference between each object's temperatures you listed in part a. Include discussions related to each of the three known points checked above.
Figure Investigation:
1. In the following diagram, draw a line representing how temperature changes with altitude above sea level in the four layers of the atmosphere. Then label the names for these four layers and the name of the three boundaries between each.
2. In the following diagram, draw a line for how atmospheric pressure changes with altitude above sea level. Make sure the values of pressure (x-axis) on your line are reasonable approximations for the altitude you have drawn them at.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.