1.3 Energy in the Atmosphere
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Write true if the statement is true or false if the statement is false.
_____ 1. Less solar energy reaches lower latitudes than higher latitudes.
_____ 2. Differences in solar radiation by latitude cause winds and ocean currents.
_____ 3. Electromagnetic waves can travel through gases but not through solids.
_____ 4. The longest wavelengths of visible light appear red in color.
_____ 5. A candle flame contains more heat than a bathtub full of hot water.
_____ 6. If you continue heating a pot of boiling water, the temperature of the water
keeps rising.
_____ 7. The angle of tilt of Earth’s axis keeps changing as the planet revolves around
the sun.
_____ 8. In the atmosphere, conduction is more effective at lower altitudes.
_____ 9. A molecule of carbon dioxide traps more heat in the atmosphere than a
molecule of any other greenhouse gas.
_____ 10. Sources of methane gas include the decomposition of plant materials.
Multiple Choice
1. Water in a lake stays cooler than nearby land on a hot sunny day because water
has a higher:
a. albedo;
b. insolation;
c. latent heat;
d. specific heat
2. The UV waves that are completely absorbed by the ozone layer are called:
a. UVA;
b. UVB;
c. UVC;
d. UVD
3. Earth’s seasons occur because:
a. The Earth is tilted on its axis so during our winter the southern hemisphere
receives more sunlight and during our summer the northern hemisphere
receives more sunlight;
from the Sun:
b. speed of Earth’s revolution;
c. distance of Earth
d. solar radiation produced by the sun
4. Heat transfer by the movement of molecules in currents is called:
a. Radiation;
b. conduction;
c. reflection;
d. convection
5. Only about half of the solar radiation that strikes the top of the atmosphere
reaches the ground because of:
a. Absorption;
b. reflection;
c. scattering;
d. all of the above
6. Which of the following is the best analogy for how greenhouse gases affect
Earth’s climate:
a. wool blanket;
b. heating pad;
c. radiator;
d. candle flame
7. All of the following greenhouse gases are naturally occurring in the atmosphere
except:
a. CO2;
b. H2O;
c. NO2;
d. CFCs
Matching
Definitions
_____ 1. heat that is taken in or released when matter changes state
_____ 2. amount of solar radiation that reaches a given area in a given time
_____ 3. measure of how fast atoms of a material are vibrating
_____ 4. transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves
_____ 5. measure of the total energy of a substance
_____ 6. measure of how well a surface reflects light
_____ 7. amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance
by 1 °C
Terms
a. albedo
b. heat
c. latent heat
d. specific heat
e. insolation
f. temperature
g. radiation
Fill in the Blank
1. Most objects radiate infrared energy, which we feel as __________.
2. The moon appears to glow in the night sky because it __________ sunlight.
3. About 44 percent of solar radiation falls in the range of wavelengths called
__________ light.
4. Of the solar energy that reaches the outer atmosphere, __________ radiation has
the greatest energy.
5. During the __________ solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun’s rays are most
direct on the Tropic of Cancer.
6. During the equinoxes, the sun’s rays shine most directly on the __________.
7. In the process of __________, heat moves by direct contact from a warmer to a
cooler object.