Deck 2: Energy: Warming the Earth and the Atmosphere

Question 1

The horizontal transport of any atmospheric property by the wind is called

A) advection.
B) radiation.
C) conduction.
D) latent heat.
E) reflection.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The temperature of a rising air parcel

A) always cools due to expansion.
B) always warms due to expansion.
C) always cools due to compression.
D) always warms due to compression.
E) remains constant.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Energy of motion is also known as

A) dynamic energy.
B) kinetic energy.
C) sensible heat energy.
D) static energy.
E) latent heat energy.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Snow will usually melt on the roof of a home that is a

A) good radiator of heat.
B) good conductor of heat.
C) poor radiator of heat.
D) poor conductor of heat.

Question 5

The amount of heat energy required to bring about a small change in temperature is called the

A) radiative equilibrium.
B) dead heat.
C) specific heat.
D) latent heat.

Question 6

Solar radiation reaches the earth's surface as

A) visible radiation only.
B) ultraviolet radiation only.
C) infrared radiation only.
D) visible and infrared radiation only.
E) ultraviolet,visible,and infrared radiation.

Question 7

When water changes from a liquid to a vapor,we call this process

A) freezing.
B) condensation.
C) sublimation.
D) deposition.
E) evaporation.

Question 8

Rising air cools by the process of

A) expansion.
B) evaporation.
C) compression.
D) condensation.

Question 9

Which of the following is the poorest conductor of heat?

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

Question 10

How do red and blue light differ?

A) Blue light has a higher speed of propagation.
B) The wavelength of red light is longer.
C) Red light has a higher intensity.
D) Red and blue light have different directions of polarization.

Question 11

The cold feeling that you experience after leaving a swimming pool on a hot,dry,summer day represents heat transport by

A) conduction.
B) convection.
C) radiation.
D) latent heat.

Question 12

The proper order from shortest to longest wavelength is

A) visible,infrared,ultraviolet.
B) infrared,visible,ultraviolet.
C) ultraviolet,visible,infrared.
D) visible,ultraviolet,infrared.
E) ultraviolet,infrared,visible.

Question 13

If the temperature of the air is said to be at absolute zero,one might conclude that

A) the motion of the molecules is at a maximum.
B) the molecules are occupying a large volume.
C) the molecules contain a minimum amount of energy.
D) the temperature is 0°F.
E) the air temperature is 0°C.

Question 14

A change of one degree on the Celsius scale is ____ a change of one degree on the Fahrenheit scale.

A) equal to
B) larger than
C) smaller than
D) is in the opposite direction of

Question 15

The processes of condensation and freezing

A) both release sensible heat into the environment.
B) both absorb sensible heat from the environment.
C) do not affect the temperature of their surroundings.
D) do not involve energy transport.

Question 16

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

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

Question 17

Sinking air warms by the process of

A) compression.
B) expansion.
C) condensation.
D) friction.

Question 18

Which of the following determine the kind (wavelength)and amount of radiation that an object emits?

A) temperature
B) thermal conductivity
C) density
D) latent heat

Question 19

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

A) latent heat of evaporation.
B) latent heat of fusion.
C) latent heat of fission.
D) latent heat of condensation.

Question 20

This is released as sensible heat during the formation of clouds:

A) potential energy
B) longwave radiation
C) latent heat
D) shortwave radiation
E) kinetic energy

Question 21

The combined albedo of the earth and the atmosphere is approximately ____ percent.

A) 4
B) 10
C) 30
D) 50
E) 90

Question 22

If you want to keep an object cool while exposed to direct sunlight,

A) put it inside a brown paper bag.
B) wrap it in black paper.
C) wrap it in aluminum foil with the shiny side facing inward.
D) wrap it in aluminum foil with the shiny side facing outward.

Question 23

The sun emits its greatest intensity of radiation in

A) the visible portion of the spectrum.
B) the infrared portion of the spectrum.
C) the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum.
D) the x-ray portion of the spectrum.

Question 24

The earth emits radiation with greatest intensity at

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

Question 25

Without the atmospheric greenhouse effect,the average surface temperature 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 26

If the present concentration of CO₂ doubles in 100 years,and climate models predict that for the earth's average temperature to rise 5°C,what gas must also increase in concentration?

A) nitrogen
B) oxygen
C) methane
D) water vapor

Question 27

Most of the radiation emitted by a human body is in the form of

A) ultraviolet radiation and is invisible.
B) visible radiation but is too weak to be visible.
C) infrared radiation and is invisible.
D) humans do not emit electromagnetic radiation.

Question 28

At which temperature would the earth be radiating energy at the greatest rate or intensity?

A) -5°F
B) -40°F
C) 60°F
D) 32°F
E) 105°F

Question 29

Which of the following statements is not correct?

A) Calm,cloudy nights are usually warmer than calm,clear nights.
B) Each year the earth's surface radiates away more energy than it receives from the sun.
C) The horizontal transport of heat by the wind is called advection.
D) Good absorbers of radiation are usually poor emitters of radiation.

Question 30

At night,low clouds

A) enhance the atmospheric greenhouse effect.
B) weaken the atmospheric greenhouse effect.
C) are often caused by the atmospheric greenhouse effect.
D) have no effect on the atmospheric greenhouse effect.

Question 31

The atmospheric greenhouse effect is produced mainly by the

A) absorption and re-emission of visible light by the atmosphere.
B) absorption and re-emission of ultraviolet radiation by the atmosphere.
C) absorption and re-emission of infrared radiation by the atmosphere.
D) absorption and re-emission of visible light by clouds.
E) absorption and re-emission of visible light by the ground.

Question 32

Which of the following gases are mainly responsible for the atmospheric greenhouse effect in the earth's atmosphere?

A) oxygen and nitrogen
B) nitrogen and carbon dioxide
C) ozone and oxygen
D) water vapor and carbon dioxide

Question 33

Often before sunrise on a clear,calm,cold morning,ice (frost)can be seen on the tops of parked cars,even when the air temperature is above freezing.This condition happens because the tops of the cars are cooling by

A) conduction.
B) convection.
C) latent heat.
D) radiation.

Question 34

Clouds NEVER form by

A) sublimation.
B) condensation.
C) evaporation.
D) deposition.
E) both sublimation and evaporation.

Question 35

Suppose last night was clear and calm.Tonight low clouds will be present.From this you would conclude that tonight's minimum temperature will be

A) higher than last night's minimum temperature.
B) lower than last night's minimum temperature.
C) the same as last night's minimum temperature.
D) above freezing.

Question 36

Which principle best describes why holes develop in snow around tree trunks?

A) Snow is a good absorber of infrared energy.
B) Snow is a good emitter of infrared energy.
C) Snow is a poor reflector of visible light.
D) Snow is a poor absorber of visible light.
E) Snow is a poor absorber of ultraviolet light.

Question 37

Which of the following has a wavelength shorter than that of violet light?

A) green light
B) blue light
C) infrared radiation
D) red light
E) ultraviolet radiation

Question 38

Air that rises always

A) contracts and warms.
B) contracts and cools.
C) expands and cools.
D) expands and warms.

Question 39

The albedo of the moon is 7 percent.This means that

A) 7 percent of the sunlight striking the moon is reflected.
B) 7 percent of the sunlight striking the moon is absorbed.
C) the moon emits only 7 percent as much energy as it absorbs from the sun.
D) 93 percent of the sunlight striking the moon is reflected.

Question 40

If the earth's average surface temperature were to increase,the amount of radiation emitted from the earth's surface would ____,and the wavelength of peak emission would shift toward ____ wavelengths.

A) increase,shorter
B) increase,longer
C) decrease,shorter
D) decrease,longer

Question 41

Sunlight passes through a thicker portion of the atmosphere at

A) sunrise.
B) noon.
C) sunset.
D) night.
E) both sunrise and sunset.

Question 42

On the average,about what percentage of the solar energy that strikes the outer atmosphere eventually reaches the earth's surface?

A) 5 percent
B) 15 percent
C) 30 percent
D) 50 percent
E) 70 percent

Question 43

If the amount of energy lost by the earth to space each year were not approximately equal to that received,

A) the atmosphere's average temperature would change.
B) the length of the year would change.
C) the sun's output would change.
D) the mass of the atmosphere would change.

Question 44

The earth's radiative equilibrium temperature is

A) the temperature at which the earth is absorbing solar radiation and emitting infrared radiation at equal rates.
B) the temperature at which the earth is radiating energy at maximum intensity.
C) the average temperature the earth must maintain to prevent the oceans from freezing solid.
D) the temperature at which rates of evaporation and condensation on the earth are in balance.

Question 45

The aurora are seen

A) in the Northern Hemisphere only.
B) in the Southern Hemisphere only.
C) in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres at high latitudes.
D) in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres near the equator.

Question 46

When you remove a cold beverage from a refrigerator in a humid room,water vapor will condense on the sides of the container.Would this act to warm or cool the beverage,or would the condensation have no effect on the beverage's temperature?

Question 47

Some people have the mistaken notion that the sky is blue due to reflection of light from the oceans.Explain why this is incorrect,and give the correct reason that the sky is blue.

Question 48

Describe the atmospheric greenhouse effect.Is there any difference between the way the atmospheric greenhouse effect works on a clear night and on a cloudy night?

Question 49

Explain how a down jacket keeps you warm on a cold winter day.

Question 50

Describe and give examples of the various ways that heat can be transported in the atmosphere.

Question 51

Will a rising parcel of air always expand? Why? Does this expansion cause the air temperature to increase or decrease? Why?

Question 52

The atmosphere near the earth's surface is "heated from below." Which of the following is NOT responsible for the heating?

A) conduction of heat upward from a hot surface
B) convection from a hot surface
C) absorption of infrared energy that has been radiated from the surface
D) heat energy from the earth's interior

Question 53

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 54

Suppose you are outside in very cold temperatures,wearing a winter coat that is quite effective at keeping you warm.Which of the following is true?

A) The coat is the source of the heat that keeps you warm.
B) Your body generates the heat that keeps you warm.
C) The coat prevents your body's heat from escaping to the surrounding air.
D) a and c
E) b and c

Question 55

Explain how energy in the form of sunlight absorbed at the ground could be transferred upward in the atmosphere in the form of latent heat.How or when is the latent heat energy released in the air above the ground?

Question 56

The major process that warms the lower atmosphere is

A) the release of latent heat during condensation.
B) conduction of heat upward from the surface.
C) absorption of infrared radiation.
D) direct absorption of sunlight by the atmosphere.

Question 57

How could increased cloud cover cause an increase in the average surface temperature? How could increased cloudiness cause a decrease in average surface temperatures?

Question 58

Several of the planets in our solar system are further from the sun and cooler than the earth.Do they emit electromagnetic radiation? Why are we able to see the planets in the sky at night?

Question 59

Perspiration cools the body by

A) advective heat transfer.
B) radiative heat transfer.
C) conductive heat transfer.
D) latent heat transfer.

Question 60

Sunlight that bounces off a surface is said to be ____ from the surface.

A) radiated
B) absorbed
C) emitted
D) reflected

Question 61

Many people will blow on a bowl of hot soup to try to cool it.In your view,what are the two most important heat transport processes being used to cool the soup?

Question 62

Imagine that the temperature of the sun were to change.Describe or discuss some of the effects that this might have on the earth's energy budget and the earth's climate.

Question 63

What are the other factors,besides increasing CO₂ concentrations,that affect global warming?

Question 64

In what ways is the atmospheric greenhouse different from an agricultural greenhouse?

Question 65

Many automobile engines are cooled by water which flows in a closed circuit through the engine block and the car's radiator.How many different heat transport processes do you find in operation here?