Deck 2: Warming the Earth and the Atmosphere

Question 1

In the lower atmosphere, any air that rises will ____ and cool.

A) expand
B) evaporate
C) compress
D) vaporize

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 0.4 and 0.7 micrometers is called ____.

A) ultraviolet light
B) visible light
C) infrared light
D) microwaves

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is the poorest conductor of heat?

A) still air
B) water
C) ice
D) soil

Answer 3

A

Question 4

As the temperature of an object ____, the intensity of the radiation emitted by the object ____.

A) increases; increases
B) increases; decreases
C) decreases; stays the same
D) decreases; increases

Question 5

The freezing of pure water is 32° on the ____ scale.

A) Kelvin
B) Fahrenheit
C) Celsius
D) absolute

Question 6

The heat energy released when water vapor changes to a liquid is called ____.

A) latent heat of evaporation
B) latent heat of sublimation
C) latent heat of vaporization
D) latent heat of condensation

Question 7

The earth's radiation is often referred to as ____ radiation, while the sun's radiation is often referred to as ____ radiation.

A) shortwave; longwave
B) shortwave; shortwave
C) longwave; shortwave
D) longwave; longwave

Question 8

The wavelength of radiation is ____ proportional to the energy carried per wave.

A) directly
B) not
C) slightly
D) inversely

Question 9

During atmospheric convection, rising air bubbles are called ____.

A) wind
B) vapors
C) thermals
D) clouds

Question 10

The movement of smoke in the atmosphere from one area to another by wind is an example of ____.

A) advection
B) radiation
C) conduction
D) reflection

Question 11

Energy transferred by electromagnetic waves is called ____.

A) magnetism
B) convection
C) conduction
D) radiation

Question 12

The earth emits radiation with greatest intensity at ____.

A) infrared wavelengths
B) radio wavelengths
C) visible wavelengths
D) ultraviolet wavelengths

Question 13

A heat transfer process in the atmosphere that depends upon the movement of air is ____.

A) conduction
B) reflection
C) convection
D) radiation

Question 14

Radiation is made of discrete packets of energy called ____.

A) thermals
B) convective cells
C) photons
D) microns

Question 15

Which region of the sun's electromagnetic spectrum is most responsible for human skin cancer?

A) infrared
B) ultraviolet
C) visible
D) near infrared

Question 16

The transfer of heat from molecule to molecule within a substance is called ____.

A) conduction
B) convection
C) radiation
D) latent energy

Question 17

The wavelengths of radiation that an object emits depend primarily on the object's ____.

A) temperature
B) photons
C) density
D) reflective surfaces

Question 18

What is responsible for the cold feeling that you experience after leaving a swimming pool on a hot, dry summer day?

A) heat transport by conduction
B) heat transport by convection
C) heat transport by radiation
D) heat transport by latent heat

Question 19

The proper order from shortest to longest wavelength is ____.

A) ultraviolet, infrared, and visible
B) infrared, visible, and ultraviolet
C) ultraviolet, visible, and infrared
D) visible, ultraviolet, and infrared

Question 20

Which of the following provides a measure of the average speed of the atoms and molecules in air?

A) pressure
B) temperature
C) density
D) evaporation

Question 21

An object at radiative equilibrium temperature is behaving as a ____.

A) selective absorber
B) blackbody
C) light reflector
D) greenhouse gas

Question 22

The average summer temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere are cooler than the average summer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere because ____.

A) the earth is closer to the sun in January
B) the earth is farther from the sun in July
C) over 80% of the Southern Hemisphere is covered with water
D) the sun's energy is less intense in the Southern Hemisphere

Question 23

The albedo of the earth's surface is only about 4%, yet the combined albedo of the earth and the atmosphere is about 30%. Which set of conditions below best explains why this is so?

A) high albedo of clouds; low albedo of water
B) high albedo of clouds; high albedo of water
C) low albedo of clouds; low albedo of water
D) low albedo of clouds; high albedo of water

Question 24

Which process accounts for the sky's blue color?

A) light reflection
B) light scattering
C) albedo
D) thermal convection

Question 25

On which date would the sun's rays be closest to being perpendicular to the earth's surface in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere?

A) March 21
B) June 21
C) September 22
D) July 21

Question 26

The auroras are caused by charged particles originating from ____.

A) the earth's atmosphere
B) solar wind
C) the North Pole
D) the South Pole

Question 27

When it is January and winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is ____ in the Southern Hemisphere.

A) January and summer
B) January and winter
C) July and winter
D) July and summer

Question 28

In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the shortest number of daylight hours occurs on ____.

A) June 21
B) December 21
C) September 22
D) January 1

Question 29

The earth is closest to the sun in ____.

A) January
B) March
C) July
D) September

Question 30

The atmospheric greenhouse effect is due primarily to the fact that ___.

A) oxygen and ozone absorb ultraviolet radiation
B) nitrogen and oxygen transmit visible radiation
C) cloud formation releases latent heat energy
D) carbon dioxide and water vapor absorb infrared radiation

Question 31

Seasons on earth are regulated by ___.

A) only the length of daylight hours
B) both the length of daylight hours and the angle sunlight strikes the earth's surface
C) only the angle sunlight strikes the earth's surface
D) only the earth's nearness to the sun

Question 32

Without the atmospheric greenhouse effect, the average surface temperature of the earth would be ___.

A) higher than at present
B) lower than at present
C) the same as it is now
D) much more variable than it is now

Question 33

For maximum winter warmth, in the Northern Hemisphere, large windows in a house should face ____.

A) north
B) south
C) east
D) west

Question 34

During the summer months at the North Pole, the sun does not set for ____.

A) 2 months
B) 24 hours
C) 6 months
D) 4 months

Question 35

Between Christmas and January, at middle latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, the length of the day ____.

A) increases
B) decreases
C) does not change
D) is 12 hours long

Question 36

Which of the following has a higher albedo than thin clouds?

A) the moon
B) snow
C) ice
D) water

Question 37

Although water vapor accounts for about 60% of the atmospheric greenhouse effect, it is the increase of ____ in the atmosphere that appears to be the main cause of global warming.

A) carbon monoxide
B) ozone
C) carbon dioxide
D) argon

Question 38

An object that radiates more energy than it absorbs will ____.

A) become colder
B) become warmer
C) maintain the same temperature
D) reach radiative equilibrium

Question 39

The earth emits infrared radiation ____.

A) only at night
B) only during the day
C) at variable times
D) continuously

Question 40

The earth's surface receives about twice as much energy from the atmosphere than from the sun as a result of ____.

A) the release of latent heat during condensation
B) conduction of heat upward from the surface
C) convection
D) absorbed infrared energy radiated back to earth
E) direct absorption of sunlight by the atmosphere

Question 41

The Southern Hemisphere has warmer summers and colder winters than the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 42

Airline routes are sometimes changed as a result of solar storms.

Question 43

Instructions: Choose one answer from each pair of selections. In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, the sun's position can affect vegetation. Would you expect a SOUTH- or a NORTH-facing hill to receive more sunlight during a year?

Question 44

What mechanism always transfers heat by flowing from warmer to colder regions?

Question 45

Instructions: Choose one answer from each pair of selections. The longest wavelengths of visible light correspond to the color RED | VIOLET.

Question 46

Instructions: Choose one answer from each pair of selections. To see the aurora australis, you have to travel to the NORTHERN | SOUTHERN Hemisphere.

Question 47

When an object emits and absorbs energy at equal rates, its temperature increases.

Question 48

Instructions: Choose one answer from each pair of selections. Which is a better reflector of solar energy, WATER or ICE?

Question 49

The formation of ice releases heat and warms the surroundings.

Question 50

Instructions: Choose one answer from each pair of selections. At a UV index of 10, a person should take EXTRA | MODERATE precautions when exposed to sunlight.

Question 51

Which atmospheric gas is responsible for the largest percentage of the greenhouse effect?

Question 52

During cloud droplet formation, condensation causes the release of what kind of heat into the environment?

Question 53

What provides a measure of the average speed or kinetic energy of the atoms and molecules in air?

Question 54

Microwave radiation has a longer wavelength and carries more energy per wave than visible light.

Question 55

Instructions: Choose one answer from each pair of selections. If you could somehow see the random motions of atoms and molecules in air, would they all be moving at the SAME or at DIFFERENT speeds?

Question 56

Instructions: Choose one answer from each pair of selections. Compared to Phoenix (30°N latitude), Minneapolis (45°N) will have shorter days in the winter and LONGER | SHORTER days in the summer.

Question 57

Instructions: Choose one answer from each pair of selections. Air is a GOOD | POOR conductor of heat.

Question 58

In some situations, light behaves as if it were composed of particles rather than having a wavelike nature. What is the name given to light "particles?"

Question 59

Instructions: Choose one answer from each pair of selections. Overcast skies usually result in cooler daytime temperatures because clouds are good REFLECTORS | ABSORBERS of sunlight.

Question 60

Instructions: Choose one answer from each pair of selections. The earth's atmosphere SELECTIVELY | CONTINUOUSLY absorbs radiation.

Question 61

In the discussion of the earth's annual energy balance, we saw that the earth absorbed approximately 51 units of solar energy but emitted 117 units of infrared energy. What prevents the earth from getting colder and colder?

Question 62

Using the concept of latent heat, explain why perspiration is an effective way of reducing a person's body temperature.

Question 63

Does the expansion of air cause its temperature to increase or decrease? Why?

Question 64

Explain why sunrises and sunsets typically have colors of red, orange, and yellow.

Question 65

If the amount of snow and ice in the polar regions of the earth were to decline due to global warming, how would you expect this to affect the radiation budget of the earth?