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Instructor: Prof. Seiberling
PHYSICS DEPARTMENT
MET 1010
1st Midterm Exam
Name (print, last ¯rst):
Sept. 23, 2002
Signature:
On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this examination.
YOUR TEST NUMBER IS THE 5-DIGIT NUMBER AT THE TOP OF EACH PAGE.
(1) Code your test number on your answer sheet (use 76{80 for the 5-digit number). Code your name on your
answer sheet. DARKEN CIRCLES COMPLETELY. Code your student number on your answer sheet.
(2) Print your name on this sheet and sign it also.
(3) Do all scratch work anywhere on this exam that you like. At the end of the test, this exam printout is to be turned in.
No credit will be given without both answer sheet and printout with scratch work most questions demand.
(4) Blacken the circle of your intended answer completely, using a #2 pencil or blue or black ink. Do not make
any stray marks or the answer sheet may not read properly. If you believe there is no correct answer listed, leave the
answer spaces blank.
(5) The answers are rounded o®. Choose the closest to exact.
There is no penalty for guessing.
>>>>>>>>WHEN YOU FINISH <<<<<<<<
Hand in the answer sheet separately.
There are 32 multiple choice questions. Clearly mark the one best answer for each question. If more than one answer
is marked, no credit will be given for that question, even if one of the marked answers is correct. Guessing an answer is
better than leaving it blank. All questions are worth 3 points, except for 4 questions, which are worth 4 points. The 4-point
questions are clearly indicated. Good Luck!
1. The appearance of a dimly visible \watery sun" through a deck of gray clouds is usually a good indication that the clouds
are:
(1) angelitus
2. Clouds
(2) altostratus
infrared radiation and
(1) absorb, re°ect
(2) re°ect, re°ect
(3) cirrostratus
(3) absorb, absorb
is close to the temperature at the earth's surface
is nearly the same as the sun's temperature
has never been measured
is much warmer than the temperature at the earth's surface
is much colder than the temperature at the earth's surface
4. Water vapor:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
makes the sky hazy
is invisible
makes clouds white
colors the sky blue
is very small drops of liquid water
(5) stratus
(4) emit, absorb
(5) re°ect, absorb
visible radiation.
3. The temperature of the tropopause:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(4) nimbostratus
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5. The bending of light that occurs when it enters and passes through a substance of di®erent density is called:
(1) refraction
(2) di®raction
(3) re°ection
(4) scattering
(5) absorption
6. The Gulf Coast states are more humid in summer than the coastal areas of Southern California mainly because of the:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
higher air temperature in the Gulf States
higher water temperature in the Paci¯c Ocean
lower air temperature in Southern California
higher water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico
low relative humidity of the air over the Paci¯c Ocean
7. At which city might you be able to observe cirrus clouds at an altitude of 3000 m (10,000 feet) above the surface?
(1) Chicago, Illinois
(2) Honolulu, Hawaii
(3) Waldo, Florida
(4) Yuma, Arizona
(5) Barrow, Alaska
8. A radiation inversion is most commonly observed:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
in the upper atmosphere
at sunset
within a few meters of the ground
during the afternoon
when it is raining
9. On what day would you expect the sun to be overhead at Lima, Peru (latitude 12± S)?
(1) August 15
(2) April 21
(3) December 22
(4) March 10
(5) February 4
10. During the course of a year the sun will disappear from view near the North Pole on what date?
(1) June 21
(2) December 23
(3) September 23
(4) January 1
(5) March 21
11. (4 pts) How many heating degree-days would there be for a week in which the maximum temperature was 60 ± F each
day and the minimum temperature was 40 ± F each day ? (Assume a base temperature of 65± F)
(1) 35
(2) 140
(3) 105
(4) 175
(5) 300
12. (4 pts) A laser pulse is sent vertically up toward a bank of cumulus clouds. If the pulse is re°ected by the base of the
clouds and returns to the ground at the position of the transmitter/receiver in a round trip time of 20 microseconds, how
high is the base of the clouds? (The speed of light is 3 £ 10 8 meters/second)
(1) 2000 meters
(2) 3000 meters
(3) 600 meters
(4) 1500 meters
(5) 2500 meters
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13. Clouds in the tropics tend to move from east to west. Consequently, which rhyme best describes a rainbow seen in the
tropics?
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
roses are red, violets are blue, what rainbows mean I haven't a clue
rainbow at the break of day, means that the rain is on the way
rainbow at the break of dawn, means, of course, the rain is gone
rainbow with a setting sun, means that sailors can have some fun
rainbow in the morning, means that sailors should take warning
14. Which below is not considered a greenhouse gas?
(1) nitrous oxide (N2 O)
(2) methane (CH4 )
(3) water vapor (H2 O)
(4) oxygen (O2 )
(5) carbon dioxide (CO2 )
15. Which relates to weather rather than climate?
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
The average temperature for the month of January is 28± F
the lowest temperature ever recorded in Frozenlake, Minnesota is ¡57 ± F
Outside it is cloudy and snowing
I like the warm, humid summers
the foggiest month of the year is December
16. The amount of force exerted over an area of surface is called:
(1) pressure
(2) weight
(3) density
(4) temperature
(5) work
17. In calm air the air temperature is ¡10 ± C, if the wind speed should increase to 30 knots (with no change in air temperature)
the thermometer would indicate:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
a
a
a
a
a
temperature of ¡30± C
much higher temperature than ¡10± C
temperature of 0± C
much lower temperature than ¡10± C
temperature of ¡10± C
18. A mirage is caused by:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
being too thirsty
the bending of light by air of di®erent densities
a thin layer of moist air near the ground
re°ection of light from a hot surface
scattering of light by air molecules
19. If the temperature of the air is said to be at absolute zero, one might conclude that:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
the
the
the
the
the
motion of the molecules is at a maximum
air temperature is 0± C
molecules contain a minimum amount of energy
temperature is 0± F
molecules are occupying a large volume
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20. Fog that forms o® the coast of Newfoundland is mainly a form of:
(1) radiation fog
(2) upslope fog
(3) frontal fog
(4) advection fog
(5) steam fog
21. Fog that most often forms as warm rain falls into a cold layer of surface air is called:
(1) evaporation (mixing) fog
(2) radiation fog
(3) advection fog
(4) frontal fog
(5) upslope fog
22. The earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5 ± with respect to the plane of its orbit around the sun. If the amount of tilt were
increased to 40 ± , we would expect in middle latitudes (latitudes 30 ± to 50± ):
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
hotter summers and milder winters than at present
cooler summers and colder winters than at present
no appreciable change from present conditions
hotter summers and colder winters than at present
cooler summers and milder winters than at present
23. High fog is also called
(1) cirrus
(2) steam fog
(3) cumulus
(4) stratus
(5) frost
24. Polar orbiting satellites:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
on each successive orbit view an area to the west of the previous orbit
remain above a ¯xed point over the North or South Pole
remain above a ¯xed point over the equator
pass directly over the same place on each orbit
follow a line of constant latitude around the earth
25. What color would the sky be if air molecules selectively scattered only the longest wavelengths of visible light?
(1) red
(2) white
(3) black
(4) blue
(5) green
26. Heat transferred outward from the surface of the moon can take place by:
(1) radiation
(2) latent heat
(3) convection
(4) advection
27. When the air temperature of a parcel increases, the saturation vapor pressure will
.
(5) conduction
and the relative humidity will
(1) decrease, decrease (2) decrease, increase (3) remain the same, decrease (4) increase, decrease (5) increase, increase
28. (4 pts) For this and the next question, refer to the ¯gure provided. Suppose you have a parcel of air represented by the
dot on the ¯gure. You slowly reduce the temperature of the parcel down to 10 ± C at constant air pressure. Assume ample
condensation nuclei exist in the parcel. By how much has the water vapor pressure changed when you get to 10± C ?
(1) no change
(2) increased by 12 mb
(3) reduced by 20 mb
(4) increased by 22 mb
(5) reduced by 8 mb
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29. If you have a parcel of air at the dot in the ¯gure, then you double the number of water vapor molecules in the parcel,
what would be the new relative humidity in the parcel?
(1) 50%
(2) 75%
(3) 100%
(4) 0%
(5) 25%
30. (4 pts) If 1:5 £ 10 4 Cal of heat is added to a 2.5 kg sample of water in an insulated beaker, by how much does the
temperature of the water rise? [The speci¯c heat of water is 1.0 Cal / (gram £ ± C)]
(1) 1.7± C
(2) 15 ± C
(3) 6± C
(4) 25 ± C
(5) 250 ± C
31. I have a dog named Albedo, who has a very high albedo. What can you conclude about Albedo?
(1) he is smart
(2) he gets dizzy easily
(3) he is hyperactive
(4) he is usually hot
(5) he is white
32. Where are the days and nights of equal length all year long?
(1) at the Equator
(2) nowhere
(3) at 23.5±
(4) at 66.5±
(5) at the poles