Atmosphere Earth Science Chapter 11

Front 1

What are the four most abundant gases in Earth's atmosphere?

Back 1

Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Water Vapor

Front 2

What are some types of atmospheric particles?

Back 2

dust, salt, and ice

Front 3

What are the five different layers of the atmosphere from the closest to Earth's surface to the farthest away from Earth's surface?

Back 3

Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere.

Front 4

What are the three ways in which energy transfers in the atmosphere?

Back 4

Radiation, Convection, Conduction

Front 5

What is radiation?

Back 5

The transfer of thermal energy by electromagnetic waves.

Front 6

What is conduction?

Back 6

Conduction is the transfer of thermal energy between objects when their atoms or molecules collide.

Front 7

What is convection?

Back 7

The transfer of thermal energy through the movement of heated material from one place to another.

Front 8

What three properties describe weather conditions?

Back 8

temperature, air pressure, and humidity.

Front 9

When temperature increases, what happens to the air pressure, why?

Back 9

When temp increases, the air pressure increases also because air at higher temperatures move faster, therefore, the air pressure increases. This means that at the same density, warmer air is at a higher pressure than cooler air.

Front 10

When density increases, what happens to the air pressure?

Back 10

With increased density, air pressure is also increased.

Front 11

When temperature increases, what happens to the density? Why?

Back 11

When temperature increases, the density decreases because the air moves faster when it is hotter because the particles spread out.

Front 12

What is a temperature inversion?

Back 12

Atemperature inversion is an increase in temperature with height in an atmospheric layer. When a temperature inversion occurs, warmer air is on top of cooler air.

Front 13

WHat is saturation?

Back 13

Saturation occurs when the amount of water vapor in a volume of air reaches its maximum amount.

Front 14

What is relative humidity?

Back 14

Relative humidity is The amount of water vapor in a volume of air relative to the amount of water vapor needed for that volume of air to reach saturation.

Front 15

What is dew point?

Back 15

dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled at constant pressure to reach saturation.

Front 16

What is latent heat?

Back 16

The extra thermal energy that is contained in water vapor compared to liquid water

Front 17

What is a condensation nucleus?

Back 17

A small particle in the atmosphere around which water droplets can form.

Front 18

What is orographic lifting?

Back 18

Orographic lifting occurs when an air mass is forced to rise over a topographic barrier.

Front 19

What is convergence?

Back 19

Convergence occurs when air flows into the same area from different directions

Front 20

What is a cumulus cloud?

Back 20

They are puffy, lumpy-looking clouds that usually occur below 200 meters.

Front 21

What is a stratus cloud?

Back 21

A stratus cloud is a layered, sheet-like cloud that covers most or all of the sky in a given area.

Front 22

What is a cirrus cloud?

Back 22

A cirrus cloud often has a wispy, distinct appearance.

Front 23

What is precipitation?

Back 23

Precipitation is all forms of water that fall from clouds to the ground.

Front 24

What is coalescence?

Back 24

Coalescence occurs when cloud droplets collide and join together to form a larger droplet.

Front 25

How do clouds vary?

Back 25

Clouds vary in shape, size, and formation.

Front 26

Compare stable and unstable air.

Back 26

The stability of an air mass depends on how the temperature of the air mass changes relative to the atmosphere. The atmosphere is considered to be unstable when the temperature of the surrounding air cools faster than the temperature of the rising mass of air. Then the air mass will always be less dense than the surrounding air. As a result, the air mass will continue to rise.

Front 27

Identify the three properties of the atmosphere and describe how they vary with height in the atmosphere.

Back 27

The three properties of the atmosphere are temperature, air pressure, and humidity.
Air pressure decreases with height because the mass of air above you decreases. The temperature varies, but it continues to increase near the end in the exosphere. Humidity is not directly affected by altitude.