Ch. 12 Earth's Atmosphere

Front 1

nitrogen

Back 1

makes up 78% of the atmosphere

Front 2

oxygen

Back 2

makes up 21% of the atmosphere

Front 3

ultraviolet light

Back 3

can cause a tan or sunburn; skin cancer and other health problems

Front 4

condensation

Back 4

the conversion of a vapor or gas to a liquid

Front 5

convection

Back 5

the transfer of heat by the flow of a heated material; the process of warm air rising and cool air sinking

Front 6

conduction

Back 6

the transfer of energy that occurs when molecules bump or collide into one another

Front 7

equator

Back 7

the Sun's energy hits the Earth most directly at this location

Front 8

carbon dioxide

Back 8

a gas that is given off when fossils fuels are burned

Front 9

fossil fuels

Back 9

coal, oil, and natural gas

Front 10

radiation

Back 10

transfer of energy in the forms of rays or waves

Front 11

atmospheric pressure decreases

Back 11

the further away one gets from sea level or Earth's surface

Front 12

sun

Back 12

the source of all energy in our atmosphere; source of energy in the water cycle

Front 13

Coriolis effect

Back 13

caused by Earth's rotation; causes moving air to deflect to the right in the northern hemisphere

Front 14

troposphere

Back 14

layer of the atmosphere nearest Earth's surface; temperature decreases when altitude increases; where weather occurs; contains most of the mass of the atmosphere

Front 15

prevailing westerlies

Back 15

responsible for the movement of much of the weather across the United States and Canada

Front 16

What happens when Earth receives energy from the Sun?

Back 16

some energy is reflected back into space, some absorbed by the atmosphere, and some absorbed by land and water on Earth's surface

Front 17

sea breeze

Back 17

when cool, dense air from over the water flows inland

Front 18

stratosphere

Back 18

the 2nd layer above Earth's surface; contains the ozone layer; temperature increases when altitude increases

Front 19

particulate matter

Back 19

a mixture of dust, acids, and other chemicals that can be hazardous to human health

Front 20

Atmosphere layers are distinguished by their ___.

Back 20

composition, altitude, and temperature

Front 21

What would happen to a pot of water if heated from the top?

Back 21

liquid substance heated from the top would boil slower as the heated water would stay at the top and not warm the water below

Front 22

atmosphere

Back 22

layer of gases surrounding Earth

Front 23

mesosphere

Back 23

the middle layer in the atmosphere; where most meteors burn up

Front 24

water vapor

Back 24

makes up from zero to four percent of the atmosphere

Front 25

smog

Back 25

fog or haze combined with other atmospheric pollutants which reacts with sunlight

Front 26

ozone

Back 26

made up of 3 oxygen atoms; absorbs much of the ultraviolet radiation

Front 27

thermosphere

Back 27

next to last layer in the atmosphere; contains the ionosphere

Front 28

exosphere

Back 28

last layer in the atmosphere; least dense layer of gases; known as transitional region

Front 29

ionosphere

Back 29

contains ions; reflects AM radio waves; where auroras occur

Front 30

3 methods of energy transfer in the atmosphere

Back 30

conduction, convection, and radiation

Front 31

Why is Earth referred to as the water planet?

Back 31

70% of Earth's surface is covered with water; can be found in all three states of matter such as glaciers, oceans and rivers, and water vapor