Read Chapter 17, Section 1 to locate information on the following:
1. What causes atmospheric pressure? The weight of air above. Pressure is
greater at sea level and less at altitude.
2. Air becomes “thinner” as you gain altitude. Explain the chemistry behind this
phenomenon. The gas molecules become more scarce a altitude increases.
3. Use Figure 6 on page 480 to describe your imaginary journey through the
various layers of the atmosphere. You may begin your journey from top of
the Thermosphere or from bottom of the Troposphere but you must describe
unique features and temperature changes from each of the four layers.
Thermosphere – Mesosphere – Stratosphere - Troposphere
4. Earth’s weather is driven by energy from the Sun.
5. Name 3 variables that control the amount of solar energy reaching Earth.
Latitude, Time of day, and Season of the year
6. Create an illustration of Earth that shows the uneven distribution of the Sun’s
energy. See page 481, Figure 7
7. Why does Earth have seasons? The Earth is tilted on its axis at 23.5 degrees.
8. In which direction does Earth’s axis point? The Earth tilts toward the North
Star.
9. Create an illustration that shows the following: See page 482, Figure 8
a. Earth’s tilt
b. Earth’s 4 seasons
10. Label the 2 solstices and the 2 equinoxes on your illustration in 9. See page
482, Figure 8 or the video clip from You Tube: “Seasons – What Causes the
Seasons”
11. Which regions on Earth receive 24 hours of daylight during the summer
season? Polar Regions Why? The earth’s tilt keeps these regions aligned with
sunlight.
12. Which regions on Earth endure 24 hours of darkness during the winter
season? Polar Regions Why? The earth’s tilt keeps these regions aligned away
from sunlight.
Read Chapter 17, Section 2 to locate information on the following:
1. Illustrate and describe 3 ways in which heat can be transferred. See page
483, Figure 9. Convection = heat rises through material and sinks as it cools,
creating a current of energy flow; Conduction = transfers energy through
direct contact with a material; Radiation = transfers energy in all directions
without passing through material.
2. Which type of heat transfer occurs between the Sun and Earth? Radiation
3. Which types of electromagnetic waves are generated by the Sun? Radio,
Microwave, Infrared, Visible, Ultraviolet, Xray, and Gamma waves
4. How fast do radiation waves travel toward Earth? 300,000 km/sec
5. How does radiation travel differently from conduction and convection.
Radiation travels in all directions and doesn’t have to pass through a material.
6. Describe the 4 laws that govern radiation. All objects emit radiant energy;
Hotter objects radiate more total energy than cooler objects; Hotter radiating
bodies produce shorter wavelengths; Objects that absorb radiation well, also
emit radiation well.
7. Illustrate 3 different effects that radiation has when it strikes an object. See
page 486, Figure 12.
8. Which type of radiation responses maintains a higher intensity of energy
transfer: reflection, scattering or absorption? Reflection
9. What causes our sky to be blue during the daytime? The blue light waves are
scattered.
10. What creates Earth’s greenhouse effect? The absorption of radiation that is
reflected from earth creates our liveable greenhouse effect.
11. What is the difference between the greenhouse effect and global warming?
The greenhouse effect makes our planet liveable. Global warming is a
phenomenon created by human impacts to our atmosphere.