Download Atmosphere

Name
Date
Atmosphere
Section 1 Earth’s Atmosphere
Skim the headings in Section 1. Then make three predictions about
what you will learn. Accept all reasonable responses.
1. Earth’s atmosphere is important to our survival.
2. Earth’s atmosphere is made up mostly of gases, but includes
some solids and liquids.
3. Earth’s atmosphere is made up of several layers, and each
impacts our existence in some way.
Review
Vocabulary Define pressure in a sentence that shows its scientific meaning.
pressure
The pressure of air blown inside a balloon makes it inflate.
atmosphere
thin layer of air that forms a protective covering around
the planet
ionosphere
thin layer of electrically charged particles that is within the
mesosphere and the thermosphere
ultraviolet radiation
one of the many types of energy that come to Earth from
the Sun
chlorofluorocarbon
chemical compound used in some refrigerators, air conditioners,
and aerosol sprays
Academic
Vocabulary Use a dictionary to define trace in terms of a scientific amount.
trace
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Atmosphere
very small amount
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
New
Vocabulary Use your book or a dictionary to define the following key terms.
Name
Date
Section 1 Earth’s Atmosphere
Importance of
the Atmosphere
I found this information
on page
.
(continued)
Summarize why Earth’s atmosphere is important to life on Earth.
It keeps Earth from absorbing too much heat from the Sun.
It keeps too much heat from escaping into space.
It protects life-forms from some of the Sun’s harmful rays.
Makeup of the
Atmosphere
I found this information
on page
.
Compare the amount of gases in the atmosphere by rereading the
section and analyzing the circle graph in your book. Then complete
the following paragraph. Accept all reasonable responses.
The gas that makes up most of the atmosphere is
Oxygen
nitrogen
.
makes up 21 percent of the atmosphere. Oxygen
gas is important because many living things, including humans,
depend on it to survive.
Although carbon dioxide
makes up only 0.03% of the atmosphere it is a concern because
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
as humans burn fuel, the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere will increase. This may contribute to global warming.
Layers of the
Atmosphere
Model the layers of the atmosphere by drawing them. Label and
describe the characteristics of each layer.
I found this information
on page
.
Accept all reasonable descriptions of characteristics.
Drawings should depict the layers in this order.
Exosphere: contains so few air molecules that the
Space Shuttles’ wings are useless here
Thermosphere: hottest, thickest layer
Mesosphere: layer in which meteors are often observed
Stratosphere: contains ozone layer
Troposphere: where clouds and weather occur
Atmosphere
3
Name
Date
Section 1 Earth’s Atmosphere
Atmospheric
Pressure
I found this information
on page
.
(continued)
Model how air pressure changes as you go higher in the
atmosphere by creating a drawing in which dots represent air
molecules. To the right, describe the cause of air pressure.
Air Molecules
Accept all reasonable responses.
As Earth’s gravity pulls the
Molecules should
be closely spaced at
bottom of model and
gradually spaced further
apart toward the top.
atmosphere’s gases toward its
surface, the weight of these gases
presses down on the air below.
As a result, the molecules nearer
Earth’s surface are closer together.
I found this information
on page
.
Compare the temperature changes that occur as you go higher in
the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Use
the figure in your book to help you.
Accept all reasonable responses. As you go higher in the
troposphere, temperature decreases. In the lower part of
the stratosphere, the temperature stays the same as it was
in the highest point of the troposphere. Beyond the first 10 km of
the stratosphere, however, temperature increases. Temperature
drops again in the mesosphere, and then rises dramatically in
the thermosphere.
CONNECT IT
Why did many governments around the world agree to ban the
production and use of CFCs in the mid-1990s?
Responses should reflect that leaking CFCs was a worldwide problem. To effectively
reduce CFCs in the atmosphere, it was important to get as many countries as possible
that contribute to the problem to agree to the ban.
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Atmosphere
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Temperature in
Atmospheric
Layers