Deck 2: Solar Radiation and the Seasons

Question 1

Describe the three processes of energy transfer.

Answer 1

Conduction: movement of heat through a substance without appreciable movement of molecules. Convection: The transfer of heat by the mixing of a fluid. Radiation: Propogation of energy through empty space.

Question 2

This is a form of potential energy:

A)electromagnetic radiation.
B)boiling water.
C)food.
D)a water wheel in motion.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Your hand feels cold when you hold a cold can of soda. Energy is being transferred from your hand to the can by

A)convection.
B)conduction.
C)radiation.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Energy is traditionally defined as the ability to

A)do work.
B)create movement.
C)cause acceleration.
D)none of the above

Question 5

Nearly all of the energy available on Earth comes from the ________.

Question 6

Power is

A)the same as energy.
B)the rate at which energy is released.
C)measured in joules.
D)the ability to do work.

Question 7

List three forms of kinetic energy and five forms of potential energy.

Question 8

Radiation

A)is more like conduction than like convection.
B)supplies only a minute portion of the earth's energy.
C)cannot be thought of as consisting of particles.
D)can be transferred through a vacuum.

Question 9

Heat transfer through fluid mixing is called ________.

Question 10

Energy

A)occurs at only one scale.
B)occurs at more than one scale.
C)occurs only at scales that are very small.
D)occurs only at scales that are very large.

Question 11

Radiation,as an energy transfer mechanism,is especially important because

A)radiation energy can travel without an intervening medium.
B)everything radiates.
C)radiation provides us with visible light.
D)all of the above

Question 12

The relationship between kinetic energy and potential energy is

A)one must have potential energy before kinetic energy can be realized.
B)kinetic energy is proportional to the potential energy.
C)potential energy is the storage state of kinetic energy.
D)in practice, all of a potential energy source is never fully transformed to usable kinetic energy.
E)All of the above are true.

Question 13

Convection

A)does not involve an actual transfer of energy.
B)involves potential energy only.
C)involves mixing in a fluid.
D)is another term for conduction.

Question 14

About one part in ________ of the Sun's total energy is transferred to Earth.

A)one hundred
B)one million
C)one billion
D)two billion

Question 15

This is a form of kinetic energy:

A)a charged battery not in use.
B)firewood.
C)water behind a dam.
D)electrical power.

Question 16

Warm air rises. This is an example of energy transfer by

A)convection.
B)conduction.
C)radiation.

Question 17

The standard unit of energy in the International System (SI)used in scientific applications is the

A)Watt.
B)Ampere.
C)Joule.
D)Ohm.

Question 18

Energy transfer processes include

A)only those processes that can be seen.
B)energy that is transferred at the molecular level only.
C)conduction, convection, and radiation.
D)only the energy interactions between the earth and the atmosphere.

Question 19

This method of energy transfer does not involve the net movement of particles or waves in the direction of energy transfer:

A)conduction.
B)convection.
C)radiation.
D)All three of the above involve the movement of particles.

Question 20

An electron orbiting a hydrogen atom

A)is restricted to a single energy state.
B)cannot be removed from that atom unless that atom combines with another hydrogen atom to form a hydrogen molecule.
C)has greater energy when it is further away from the nucleus.
D)can absorb and emit photons of nearly any wavelength.

Question 21

Emissivity

A)can have values greater than one.
B)will always be less than one for any object that is not a black body.
C)is typically .1 or below for most natural surfaces encountered on Earth.
D)is constant for the atmosphere.

Question 22

All of the following are true statements about electromagnetic radiation,except

A)it moves at the speed of light.
B)it is often measured in micrometers.
C)its energy is inversely proportional to its amplitude.
D)its energy does not decrease with distance.

Question 23

At the speed of light,energy from the sun takes how much time to reach the Earth?

A)1 second
B)30 seconds
C)8 minutes
D)24 minutes

Question 24

Electromagnetic radiation

A)consists of waves that can vary in amplitude.
B)is relatively rare in the universe.
C)consists of two waves that are 90 degrees out of phase with each other.
D)does not create an electric field.

Question 25

Which of the following orbit the nuclei of the atom in "shells"?

A)protons
B)photons
C)electrons
D)neutrons

Question 26

A heavy winter coat keeps you warm by

A)conducting heat to your body.
B)preventing your body from losing energy by radiation.
C)preventing your body from losing energy by conduction.

Question 27

According to Wien's law

A)the wavelength of peak radiation is proportional to the amount of radiation.
B)the Sun's energy intensity peaks in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
C)the radiation emitted from Earth must be 4 micrometers or longer.
D)wavelength is proportional to the fourth power of the intensity of radiation.

Question 28

The single factor that determines how much energy a blackbody radiates is its

A)size.
B)distance.
C)diameter.
D)temperature.

Question 29

Ultraviolet,visible,and infrared are all types of radiation with different

A)gravity.
B)wavelengths.
C)potential energy.
D)latent heat.

Question 30

The Stefan-Boltzmann Law gives the relationship between

A)solar energy and temperature.
B)temperature and long-wave radiation.
C)the intensity of radiation and the temperature of an object.
D)emissivity and wavelength.

Question 31

The single factor that determines how much energy a blackbody radiates is its

A)temperature.
B)mass.
C)volume.
D)density.

Question 32

Object A is twice as warm as object B. Object A

A)emits twice as much energy as object B.
B)emits half as much energy as object B.
C)emits four times as much energy as object B.
D)emits 16 times as much energy as object B.

Question 33

Electromagnetic radiation provides energy for

A)the movement of the atmosphere.
B)the growth of plants.
C)the evaporation of water.
D)all of the above

Question 34

Bodies that emit some percentage of the maximum amount of radiation possible at a given temperature are called

A)blackbodies.
B)black holes.
C)graybodies.
D)partials.

Question 35

Black bodies

A)can only approximate the Stefan-Boltzmann law.
B)are hypothetical; they don't actually exist.
C)emit the same amount of energy regardless of their temperatures.
D)do not emit radiation as well as gray bodies do.

Question 36

The Stefan-Boltzmann law

A)gives energy intensities in watts per square meter.
B)demonstrates that a cooler body will radiate with greater intensity than will a hotter body.
C)does not apply to black bodies.
D)is derived from Wien's law.

Question 37

The peak of the Earth's emission is ________,while the sun's peak is 0.5 microns.

A)0.1 microns
B)1 micron
C)10 microns
D)100 microns

Question 38

The visible light spectrum is bounded by these two types of radiation:

A)x-ray and thermal infrared.
B)x-ray and radio wave.
C)microwave and gamma ray.
D)ultraviolet and near infrared.

Question 39

The measurement used to specify wavelengths is called the

A)micrometer.
B)macrometer.
C)nanometer.
D)decameter.

Question 40

The largest energy transfer in the solar spectrum occurs in the

A)x-ray part of the spectrum.
B)ultraviolet part of the spectrum.
C)visible part of the spectrum.
D)infrared part of the spectrum.
E)radio wave part of the spectrum.

Question 41

If object A is at 400 K and object B is at 800 K,then the radiation intensity of object A will be this amount of that the radiation intensity of object B:

A)one-half.
B)one-fourth.
C)one-eighth.
D)one-sixteenth.

Question 42

Choose the correct listing of radiation from the longest wavelengths to the shortest wavelengths:

A)radio, gamma rays, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, x-rays.
B)gamma rays, radio, ultraviolet, infrared, visible, x-rays.
C)x-rays, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays, visible, radio.
D)radio, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays.

Question 43

In the innermost portion of the Sun,the core,extremely high temperatures and high densities lead to the energy-creating process of

A)nuclear fission.
B)nuclear fusion.
C)the big bang.
D)nuclear differentiation.

Question 44

Explain why ultraviolet (UV)radiation causes sunburn and infrared (IR)radiation does not.

Question 45

________ radiation is used to cook food and ________ radiation causes sunburn.

A)Infrared; ultraviolet
B)Microwave; ultraviolet
C)X-ray; infrared
D)Ultraviolet; infrared

Question 46

Sunspot activity

A)typically varies in number on a roughly eleven-year cycle.
B)was first observed in the late nineteenth century.
C)typically has the same number of sunspots per year.
D)has been conclusively linked to climate changes.

Question 47

Why is it not completely accurate to describe the energy coming from the Sun as visible radiation?

Question 48

The earth's radiation is strongest in this portion of the spectrum,the ________.

Question 49

Which of the following has the longest wavelength?

A)thermal infrared
B)radio
C)gamma
D)ultraviolet

Question 50

A ________ is a perfect emitter of radiation.

Question 51

Sunspots

A)are caused by locally intense magnetic fields.
B)appear in the chromosphere.
C)are warmer than the material surrounding them.
D)tend to be less than 100 miles in diameter.

Question 52

Describe the sections of the Sun and the important activities that happen in each.

Question 53

Differences in emissivity of a substance are governed by differences in

A)moisture.
B)pressure.
C)temperature.
D)wind speed.

Question 54

Sunspots are associated with the solar

A)core.
B)corona.
C)photosphere.
D)chromosphere.

Question 55

Define and discuss the following terms involving radiation: electric wave,magnetic wave,wavelength,wave amplitude,wave speed,black body,Stefan-Boltzmann law,Wien's law,electromagnetic bands.

Question 56

Sunspot numbers were lowest in this century:

A)seventeenth century.
B)eighteenth century.
C)nineteenth century.
D)twentieth century.

Question 57

The solar constant is measured in ________.

Question 58

How long does it take for energy generated near the core of the sun by fusion to reach the Earth-atmosphere system as solar radiation?

A)immediately
B)8 minutes
C)1 century
D)1 million years

Question 59

Describe how Wien's law has been applied to the understanding of satellite images that you see on television weather broadcasts.

Question 60

Discuss the various factors which affect the absorption and emission of photons by a hydrogen atom.

Question 61

The earth's axis of rotation is tilted roughly this number of degrees away from a line perpendicular to the plane of the earth's orbit:

A)5.3.
B)11.2.
C)23.5.
D)90.

Question 62

At which point during the year can we have 24 hours of daylight and 1 day of 24 of darkness in the northern hemisphere?

A)Arctic Circle
B)North Pole
C)Antarctic Circle
D)Tropic of Capricorn

Question 63

Which of the following statements about Earth is not true?

A)It has an elliptical orbit.
B)Its rotational axis is pointed toward Polaris.
C)It is closest to the Sun in July.
D)It is closest to the Sun at perihelion.

Question 64

If the earth's axis were parallel with its orbital plane around the Sun

A)there would be no significant weather.
B)the South Pole would always be in darkness.
C)the North Pole would always be in darkness.
D)there would be at least one day a year when every spot on Earth would receive 12 hours of daylight.

Question 65

Which of these features are likely to have the highest solar temperatures?

A)sunspots
B)solar flares
C)chromosphere
D)core

Question 66

________ have a fairly regular period of maxima,but the maxima themselves can vary significantly.

Question 67

The Antarctic Circle has 24 hours of daylight on the

A)March equinox.
B)June solstice.
C)September equinox.
D)December solstice.

Question 68

The Tropic of Capricorn is directly under the Sun during the

A)December solstice.
B)June solstice.
C)March equinox.
D)September equinox.

Question 69

The Earth is actually the farthest from the sun on

A)January 3rd.
B)April 1st.
C)July 4th.
D)December 25th.

Question 70

Explain why the solar "constant" actually varies over time.

Question 71

The Sun's photosphere

A)receives the energy from the Sun's core in a matter of minutes.
B)radiates much of the energy the earth receives.
C)decreases in density closer to the Sun's core.
D)lies above the chromosphere.

Question 72

The Northern Hemisphere has its maximum tilt toward the Sun on the

A)December solstice.
B)March equinox.
C)September equinox.
D)June solstice.

Question 73

Temperatures within these features can reach 100 million degrees Kelvin:

A)granules.
B)flares.
C)sunspots.
D)the solar wind.

Question 74

The subsolar point

A)never moves more than 23.5 degrees in a year.
B)is at the Tropic of Cancer on the June solstice.
C)reaches above the Arctic Circle only in summer.
D)is independent of the solar declination.

Question 75

Incoming solar radiation is often referred to as

A)conduction.
B)diffused radiation.
C)insolation.
D)albedo.

Question 76

The Sun's photosphere

A)lies above the Sun's core.
B)lies above the Sun's atmosphere.
C)cannot be viewed by Earth-based observers.
D)affects the earth's hydrosphere.

Question 77

The solar constant

A)is the same throughout the solar system.
B)varies inversely with the fourth power of an object's distance from the Sun's surface.
C)is independent of the Stefan-Boltzmann law.
D)is higher for Earth than for Mars.

Question 78

The ________ is the upper part of the Sun's atmosphere.

Question 79

Energy created by the sun travels from the

A)core.
B)corona.
C)photosphere.
D)chromosphere.

Question 80

The solar angle

A)is the same at the Arctic Circle and at the equator on the solstices.
B)affects the degree of beam spreading.
C)is lowest in the Northern Hemisphere during its winter.
D)is lowest at the North Pole during its summer.