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THE ATMOSPHERE
Chapter 1
Get your notes
and pencil in front
of you!!!
1.1 The Air around You
1. What is Weather?
The conditions of Earth’s
atmosphere at one time/place.
2. What is the Earth’s atmosphere?
The layers of gases that surrounds
Earth.
3. What makes conditions on Earth
suitable for living?
The
Atmosphere
4. List 3 ways (the atmosphere) makes
life livable?
1. Contains Oxygen.
2. Trapping heat
from the sun.
3. Protects from
radiation and
meteoroids.
5. List the gases in the atmosphere by
order and importance.
1. Nitrogen -78%
Used to grow and
repair body.
2. Oxygen -21%
Used to breath and
fossil fuels.
3. All others -1%
Carbon DioxideCO2.
H20 vapor,
hydrogen, neon,
methane, etc
6. What is water vapor?
Water in the form of gas. (Think
of the steam in a shower.)
7. Is the amount of water vapor the
same everywhere?
No, Desert vs Rain Forest.
1.2 Air Quality
1. What are pollutants?
Harmful substances in the air, water,
or soil.
2. Pollutants come from
gasoline, coal, oil,
and naturally
occurring (pollen).
3. What are particles?
Tiny solid or liquid particles of dust,
smoke/soot, salt, and other chemicals.
4. Particles come
from
Nature -molds,
dust, and pollen.
Humans - smoke,
burning fossil
fuels and CFC.
5. How is photochemical smog made?
Pollutants such as
hydro-carbons, and
nitrogen reacts with
sunlight.
6. How can photochemical smog be
harmful?
Irritates
breathing,
harms plants,
and damages
paint and some
plastics.
7. What is acid rain?
Rain that is more acidic because of
pollutants it falls through.
8. How is acid rain
harmful?
Hurts/Kills plants, fish,
amphibians, and
damages statues and
houses.
9. Has air quality improved or gotten
worse in the past 30 years? Why?
It has actually
IMPROVED. Laws
have been passed to
control/restrict
pollution.
1.3 Air Pressure
1. Does air have Mass? (Weight)
Yes! You can actually weight air!
(Think about swimming in the pool.)
2. What other properties does air have?
Density, pressure, and volume (and
of course Mass).
3. What is density?(Write the formula.)
Density is the mass divided by the
volume.
D=M
V
4. What is pressure?
Pressure is the force pushing on an
area or surface.
Air Pressure is divided by Isobar lines.
Millibars or Inches of Mercury.
5. What is an instrument that
measure air pressure?
Barometer (Mercury & Aneroid)
6.
A. High
altitude, less
air pressure.
(<21% Oxygen.)
B. Low
altitude,
more air
pressure.
(21% oxygen)
7. Where is air
pressure greater,
Mt. Everest or
Death Valley?
Why?
Death Valley
because of lower
altitude!
1. What are the four
major layers of the
atmosphere?
Troposphere,
stratosphere,
mesosphere, and
thermosphere.
1.4 Layers of the
Atmosphere
(Start at the bottom.)
1. What are the layers
of the atmosphere?
Troposphere Weather and Clouds.
We live here! You
could fly a kite. Gets
Colder as you go up.
Stratosphere Gets warmer as
you go up! Less air
pressure then
troposphere.
12-30 kilometers
OZONE
(No, Stratosphere
Tower is not here.)
Mesosphere “Middle”
atmosphere. Is
the coldest
here!
50-80
kilometers
Meteorites
Thermosphere Past 80 Kilo.
HOTTEST.
Has very thin air. Divided up into
the Ionosphere and Exosphere.)
http://www.theozonehole.com/atm
IONOSPHERE -80 km – 550km. Has
ions which bounce off radio waves. Has
the aurora borealis, northern lights.
EXOSPHERE
-The atmosphere gradually ends. This
is where cell phones and “TV” waves
are.
GENERAL FACTS
There is no clear end to atmosphere.
(Gradual)
It does not always get colder as you go
up.
Classified according to temperature
change.