Vocabulary:
Weather: Condition of the Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place
Atmosphere : Layer of gases that surround the planet
Ozone: Form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of two
Water Vapor: water in the form of a gas
Pollutants: Harmful substances in the air, water or soil; mostly from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel.
Photochemical Smog : A brownish haze caused by the action of sunlight on chemicals
Acid Rain: Rain that contains more acid than normal
Soot: particles that make smoke black in color
Smog : a mixture of smoke a fog
Density: Amount of mass in a given volume of air
Pressure : Force pushing on an area or surface
Air Pressure: Force that is the result of the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area
Barometer: Instrument used to measure changes in air pressure
Mercury Barometer: Instrument used to measure changes in air pressure; consists of a glass tube partially filled with mercury, with its opened end resting in a dish of mercury. Air pressure pushing on the mercury in the dish forces the mercury in the tube higher.
Aneroid Barometer: Instrument used to measure changes in air pressure without using a liquid. Changes in the shape of an airtight metal box cause a needle on the barometer dial to move.
Ozone Layer: layer that absorbs energy and filters out harmful UV rays
Nitrogen : most abundant gas in the atmosphere
Base: a substance with a pH of 8-14; low concentration of Hydrogen ions
Acid: a substance with a pH of 0-6; high concentration of Hydrogen ions
Neutral: a substance with a pH of 7 pH Scale: measures how acidic or basic a liquid is
ACID NEUTRAL BASE
1 7 14
tomato water baking soda
lemon (H
2
O) ammonia
soda soap
vinegar milk

Importance of the Atmosphere
 traps sun’s energy (heat)
 gases needed for life
 protection from meteoroids
 protection from harmful radiation
Composition of the Atmosphere

Nitrogen (78%)

Oxygen (21%)

Carbon Dioxide

Other Gases all others (1%)

Water Vapor

Particles
Questions:
1.
What properties does air have?
2.
What is the equation for density?
3.
How it atmosphere important to living things?
4.
What are the main sources of air pollution?
5.
What instruments are used to measure air pressure? How are they different?
6.
Air pressure is measured in what units?
7.
Name the layers of the atmosphere and the characteristics of each layer.
8.
What is significant about the temperature changes in the layers of the atmosphere? What causes these temperature changes?
No Atmosphere
Top of Mountain
Sea Level
* *Density: less dense
*Air Pressure: Lower air pressure because there are less molecules in the column of air pushing down.
* % Oxygen: 21% (Same)
*Oxygen Molecules: less molecules in a given space
* Colder air because there are fewer molecules to hold the heat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Density: Denser because gravity pulls the molecules toward the earth.
*Air Pressure: Higher air pressure because there are more molecules in the column of air pushing down.
* % Oxygen: 21% (Same)
*Oxygen Molecules: more molecules in a given space because gravity pulls more to earth-sea level.
* Warmer air because there are more molecules to hold the heat.