Download AEN461GTest1Spring2005

AEN 461G
Chapters 1-4
Test #1
03/01/2005
Name: ________________________
100 Points Maximum
Part I: True or False – Circle the correct letter (1 point each – 30 points total)
1.
T
F
All known objects emit electromagnetic radiation
2.
T
F
The solar altitude is higher in summer than in winter in Kentucky
3.
T
F
By convention, the base temperature for computing heating degree
days is 65 degrees Fahrenheit
4.
T
F
Fresh snow is a good conductor of heat
5.
T
F
In the northern hemisphere, the jet stream separates cold polar air
in the north from warm tropical air in the south
6.
T
F
The ozone layer is located in the troposphere
7.
T
F
In the absence of air mass advection, the day’s maximum
temperature usually occurs at noon
8.
T
F
The steeper the pressure gradient the greater the wind speed
9.
T
F
Air is a relatively poor conductor of heat
10.
T
F
Electromagnetic wave frequency is directly proportional to
wavelength
11.
T
F
Unusually high air temperatures often accompany drought
12.
T
F
On a global scale, the amount of sensible heating is greater than
the amount of latent heating
13.
T
F
Clouds contribute to the Earth’s greenhouse effect
14.
T
F
One (1) degree Kelvin is equivalent to two (2) degrees Celsius
15.
T
F
The mesosphere is the coldest layer of the atmosphere
16.
T
F
Evaporation cools the atmosphere and condensation warms the
atmosphere
17.
T
F
Based on the vertical profile of average temperature, the
atmosphere is subdivided into the thermosphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, and priddyosphere
18.
T
F
At the equinoxes, a solar altitude of 90 degrees is observed at the
equator
19.
T
F
The average kinetic energy of individual molecules is greater in
cold substances than hot substances
20.
T
F
Conduction is more important than convection is transporting heat
from the surface to the upper atmosphere
21.
T
F
Sensible and latent heat transfer are primarily confined to the
stratosphere
22.
T
F
Cloudy skies and precipitation can be expected near a low pressure
system on a surface weather map
23.
T
F
UV radiation has a shorter wavelength than infrared radiation
24.
T
F
Within in the troposphere, air temperature generally decreases
with increasing altitude
25.
T
F
If the wind chill temperature is -40 degrees Fahrenheit then the
temperature of exposed skin is also -40 degrees Fahrenheit
26.
T
F
Kansas has a more continental climate than does Boston
27
T
F
Clouds are relatively good reflectors of solar radiation
28
T
F
As water changes phases from solid to liquid to gas, molecular
activity increases
29.
T
F
The drier the soil the less important is latent heating and the more
important is sensible heating
30.
T
F
Wind flow around an anticyclone in the northern hemisphere
blows clockwise and away from the center of the anticyclone
Part II: Multiple Choice – Circle the best answer (2 points each – 30 points total)
1. A cloud in contact with earth’s surface is known as:
a. Cumuliform cloud
b. Fog
c. Cirrus cloud
d. Thunderstorm
2. Weather systems in the northern hemisphere middle latitudes of the Earth
generally move in the direction towards the:
a. East
b. North
c. South
d. West
3. Weather systems usually cross the United States in:
a. One day
b. Several days
c. Twenty or so days
d. One month
4. Weather is:
a. Variable
b. The state of the atmosphere at some place and time
c. Usually described in terms of such variables as temperature and wind
speed
d. Confined mostly to the troposphere
e. All of the above
5. The portion of the atmosphere in which the principal gases (nitrogen and oxygen)
occur everywhere in the same proportion is the:
a. Troposphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Homosphere
d. All of these are correct
e. None of these is correct
6. Air temperatures in the upper stratosphere are ____________ air temperatures in
the lower stratosphere
a. Lower than
b. Higher than
c. About the same as
7. The three atmospheric constituents that are most important for their
meteorological interactions are:
a. Nitrogen, oxygen, and argon
b. Water vapor carbon dioxide, and methane
c. Carbon dioxide, ozone, and water vapor
d. Hydrogen, helium, and argon
8. Solar radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface consists of:
a. Infrared radiation
b. Visible radiation
c. Ultraviolet radiation
d. All of these are correct
e. None of these is correct
9. Except at the poles, nights are everywhere about 12 hours when:
a. Equinoxes
b. Solstices
c. Aphelion
d. Perihelion
e. December 21
10. Solar radiation:
a. Is at a shorter wavelength than terrestrial radiation
b. Does not interact with the components of the atmosphere
c. Heats the atmosphere which, in turn, heats Earth’s surface
d. That reaches the outer atmosphere consists mostly of microwaves
e. None of the above is correct
11. The period of daylight at any place on the equator:
a. Ranges from about 9 to 15 hours over the period of a year
b. Ranges from about 11 to 13 hours over the period of a year
c. Is essentially the same throughout the year
d. None of the above is correct
12. Latent heat is released to the environment when:
a. Water freezes
b. Water evaporates
c. Ice melts
d. Snow vaporizes
e. None of the above is correct
13. Sensible heating includes transfer of heat via:
a. Conduction and convection
b. Electromagnetic radiations
c. Evaporation and condensation of water
d. Phase change of water
e. None of the above is correct
14. In response to a temperature gradient, heat flows from where it is warmer to
where it is cooler. This behavior illustrates:
a. The law of energy conservation
b. Stefan-Boltzmann Law
c. Wien’s Displacement Law
d. The second law of thermodynamics
e. The law of reflection
15. Absolute zero is the temperature at which
a. All molecular and sub-molecular activity ceases
b. No electromagnetic radiation is emitted
c. Ice begins to vaporize
d. Snow begins to melt
e. Liquid water begins to vaporize
Part III: Fill in the Blank (2 points each – 28 points total)
1. A ____________________ absorbs all radiation incident on it at every
wavelength and emits all radiation at every wavelength.
2. The three most common gases in the dry atmosphere (excluding water vapor) are:
__________________, ___________________, and ___________________.
3. Wind _______________ is the rate of sensible heat loss from the body.
4. An air mass is a huge volume of air that is relatively uniform in ______________
and ______________________.
5. The colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet make up the
_______________ portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
6. More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enhances the _______________ effect.
7. The _________________ is the ultimate driving force of the atmosphere.
8. Absorption of solar radiation causes ______________ and emission of infrared
radiation causes _______________.
9. A cold air mass is denser than a warm air mass and consequently exerts
____________ air pressure.
10. The ______________ -- the fraction of radiation striking a surface that is reflected
by that surface -- of the earth is about 30%.
Part IV: Short Answer (6 points each – 12 points total)
1. List the four (4) primary layers of the atmosphere, in order, and circle the layer in
which weather occurs
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2. List Tom’s Six (6) Rules of Thumb, and give a brief explanation of each rule
Part V: Bonus (10 points Maximum)
1. List the three heat/energy transfer processes. (3 points)
2. List the three things that can happen to solar radiation once it reaches the earth. (3
points)
3. What is Zach’s last name? It must be spelled correctly. (1 point)