Name_________________ Date______________ Class period_____________
Use textbook pages 448- 457 to fill-in-the-Blanks on Atmosphere
The atmosphere is a mixture of ________________ that surrounds Earth. As you can see
in figure 1, the atmosphere is made up mostly of ________________ gas. The oxygen you
breathe makes up a little more than _________________ of the atmosphere. In addition to
containing nitrogen and oxygen, the atmosphere contains small particles, such as ___________,
___________ _____________, __________ ___________, _______________ and _________.
The atmosphere is held around the earth by ___________________. Gravity pulls gas
molecules in the atmosphere toward the Earth’s surface causing ________ ______________.
Air pressure is strongest at the Earth’s surface because more air is above you. As you move
__________________ away from the Earth’s surface, fewer molecules are above you. So as
______________________ (distance from Earth) increases, ______ ___________________
decreases. Some parts of the atmosphere are warmer because they contain a high percentage of
gases that __________________ solar energy. Other parts of the atmosphere contain less of
these gases and are _________________. Based on ____________________ changes, the
Earth’s atmosphere is divided into four layers. Thermo-means ___________ and the
thermosphere is the sphere where temperatures are the ________________________. The
lowest layer of the atmosphere which lies next to the Earth’s surface is called the
______________. Almost all of the Earth’s _________ ________, __________ ____________,
clouds, ________ _____________, _____________, and life forms are in the _______________.
The atmosphere layer above the troposphere is called the _____________________. The
____________ ______________ protects life on Earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet
radiation. Above the stratosphere is the ___________________. The mesosphere is the
______________ layer of the atmosphere. It is also the _________________. The uppermost
atmospheric layer is called the _____________________. Earth receives energy from the sun by
_____________________. Although the sun radiates a huge amount of energy, Earth receives
only about ___ ______________ of this energy. Figure1 shows what happens to solar energy
once it enters the atmosphere. About ________ is absorbed by the __________, clouds, and
atmospheric gases. About ________ is scattered and reflected by clouds and air. If you have
touched something hot, you have experienced the process of __________________. Thermal
energy is always transferred from___________ to _____________areas.
When air molecules
come into direct contact with the warn surface of Earth, thermal energy is transferred to the
_____________________. If you have ever watched a pot of water boil, you have observed
______________________. Convection is the transfer of thermal energy by the circulation or
movement of a _______________ or _______. As air is heated, it becomes _______ ________
and rises. Cool air is ____________ so it sinks. As cool air sinks, it pushes warm air up. This
cycle of warm air rising and cool air sinking causes a circular movement of air called a
____________________ _____________________. Why doesn’t the thermal energy escape
back into space? Most of it does, but the atmosphere is like a warm _______________ that traps
enough energy to make life livable. This process is called the ________________ __________.
Many scientists have become concerned about data that show average global temperatures have
increased in the past 100 years. This gradual increase in average global temperatures is called
_______________ ________________. Greenhouse gases are gases that absorb thermal energy
in the atmosphere. Human activity such as burning _____________ _________________ and
___________________________ may be increasing levels of greenhouse gases such as
____________________ ___________________ in the atmosphere.