Deck 2: Energy - Warming the Earth and the Atmosphere

Question 1

The aurora usually occur more frequently above Maine than above Washington State.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The atmosphere near Earth's surface is "heated from below" by heat energy from Earth's interior.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

In the atmosphere, advection is horizontal, convection is vertical.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

​Good absorbers of radiation are usually poor emitters of radiation.

Question 5

Visible radiation is more successful in dislodging electrons from air atoms and molecules than ultraviolet radiation.

Question 6

Most of the solar wind emitted by the Sun never reaches Earth due to Earth's tilt.

Question 7

Occasionally, the aurora can be observed in the United States.

Question 8

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) ​in the opposite direction of
E) ​insignificant in comparison to

Question 9

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

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

Question 10

A temperature of 250 K is considered extremely hot.

Question 11

​Heat is transferred in Earth's atmosphere by radiation.

Question 12

The solar wind is not responsible for solar storms. Solar wind and solar storm are simply different names for the same phenomena.

Question 13

Temperature and heat describe the same characteristic of Earth's atmosphere.

Question 14

Even though Earth is cooler than the Sun, it emits much more radiation than the Sun.

Question 15

​Carbon dioxide and water vapor are called selective absorbing greenhouse gases.

Question 16

The infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum carries the most amount of energy.

Question 17

Without water vapor to absorb Earth's emitted infrared radiation, Earth would lose more heat.

Question 18

Each year, Earth's surface radiates away more energy than it receives from the Sun.

Question 19

Both Earth and the Sun can be treated as blackbodies.

Question 20

At night, low clouds weaken the atmospheric greenhouse effect.

Question 21

​A vertical exchange of heat is called

A) ​expansion
B) ​evaporation.
C) ​compression
D) ​condensation
E) ​convection

Question 22

​What is released as sensible heat during the formation of clouds?

A) ​deposition
B) longwave radiation
C) ​latent heat
D) ​shortwave radiation
E) ​sublimation

Question 23

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

A) ​radiative equilibrium.
B) dead heat.
C) ​conduction heat.
D) latent heat.
E) ​heat capacity.

Question 24

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

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

Question 25

​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 because the tops of cars are cooling by a loss of

A) ​conduction.
B) ​convection.
C) ​latent heat.
D) ​radiation.
E) ​condensation.

Question 26

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

A) ​-5 $\degree$ F
B) ​-40 $\degree$ F
C) ​60 $\degree$ F
D) ​32 $\degree$ F
E) ​105 $\degree$ F

Question 27

​Sinking air warms as a result of

A) ​compression
B) ​expansion
C) ​condensation
D) ​friction
E) ​conduction

Question 28

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

A) facing south.
B) ​a good conductor of heat.
C) ​well insulated.
D) ​poorly insulated.
E) ​a poor radiator of heat

Question 29

​What determines the type (wavelength) and amount of radiation that an object emits?

A) ​temperature
B) thermal conductivity​
C) density​
D) ​latent heat
E) ​specific heat

Question 30

​Which of the following is the poorest conductor of heat?

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

Question 31

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

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

Question 32

​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 plastic wrap.
D) wrap it in aluminum foil with the shiny side facing outward​
E) ​put it inside a clear container.

Question 33

​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 propagation.
E) ​The wavelength of blue light is longer.

Question 34

​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.
E) are both negative processes.

Question 35

​What type of energy has a wavelength shorter than that of violet light?

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

Question 36

​Energy of motion is also known as

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

Question 37

​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.

Question 38

The proper order from shortest to longest wavelength is

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

Question 39

​Solar radiation reaches 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 40

Horizontal transport by the wind is called

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

Question 41

​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) static
E) ​radiative

Question 42

​Which gases are primarily responsible for the atmospheric greenhouse effect in Earth's atmosphere?

A) ​oxygen and nitrogen
B) ​nitrogen and carbon dioxide
C) ​ozone and oxygen
D) ​water vapor and carbon dioxide
E) ​nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons.

Question 43

​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.
E) ​the whole electromagnetic spectrum.

Question 44

​Earth emits radiation with greatest intensity at

A) ​infrared wavelengths.
B) ​radio wavelengths.
C) ​visible wavelengths.
D) ​ultraviolet wavelengths.
E) ​X-ray wavelengths.

Question 45

​Suppose last night was clear and calm. Tonight's forecast indicates that 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.
E) below freezing.

Question 46

​Which principle best describes why melting occurs first in snow around tree trunks?

A) ​Snow is a good absorber of infrared energy.
B) ​Snow is a poor 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 47

​The atmospheric greenhouse effect is produced mainly by the absorption and re-emission of

A) ​visible light by the atmosphere.
B) ​ultraviolet radiation by the atmosphere.
C) ​infrared radiation by the atmosphere.
D) ​visible light by clouds.
E) ​visible light by the ground.

Question 48

​If the amount of energy lost by 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.
E) ​nothing would change.

Question 49

​Clouds form by the process of

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

Question 50

​The albedo of the Moon is 7 percent. This means that

A) the Moon can absorb seven times more energy than Earth.
B) ​7 percent of 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 sunlight striking the Moon is reflected.
E) ​7 percent of sunlight striking the moon is reflected.

Question 51

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

A) ​radiated
B) ​absorbed
C) ​emitted
D) ​reflected
E) ​conducted

Question 52

Earth's radiative equilibrium temperature is the

A) ​average temperature at which Earth is absorbing solar radiation and emitting infrared radiation at equal rates.
B) ​average temperature at which Earth is radiating energy at maximum intensity.
C) ​average temperature Earth must maintain to prevent oceans from freezing solid.
D) temperature at which rates of evaporation and condensation on Earth are in balance.
E) ​temperature that humans and animals can survive in on Earth.

Question 53

​Earth's magnetic field protects Earth from some of the

A) ​pollutants found in the atmosphere.
B) ​dangerous ozone present in the atmosphere.
C) ​dangerous gamma rays emitted by the Sun.
D) ​ultraviolet radiation.
E) ​particles emitted by the Sun in the form of solar winds and storms.

Question 54

​The main process responsible for warming in the lower atmosphere is

A) the release of latent heat during condensation.
B) the conduction of heat upward from the surface.
C) ​the absorption of infrared radiation.
D) the direct absorption of sunlight by the atmosphere.
E) ​related to Earth's albedo.

Question 55

​On average, what percentage of solar energy striking the outer atmosphere eventually reaches Earth's surface?

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

Question 56

​Auroras 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.
E) ​everywhere on Earth

Question 57

​The Sun emits its greatest intensity of radiation in the

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

Question 58

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

A) ​4
B) ​10
C) ​30
D) ​50
E) ​90

Question 59

Solar winds are composed of

A) ​charged particles.
B) ​aerosols and other pollutants.
C) ​water vapor.
D) ​a variety of gases that have no charge.
E) ​eletromagnetic waves.

Question 60

As ocean temperatures increase, which greenhouse gas increases and enhances the atmospheric greenhouse effect, thereby illustrating a positive feedback process?

A) nitrogen​
B) ​oxygen
C) ​argon
D) ​water vapor
E) hydrogen sulfide

Question 61

​An increase in cloud cover surrounding Earth would ____________________ Earth's albedo, yet not necessarily lead to a lower Earth surface temperature.

Question 62

​In the Northern Hemisphere, we call the green-yellow light show observed in the sky the ____________________; its counterpart in the Southern Hemisphere is the ____________________.

Question 63

In most of the world temperature is recorded in

A) ​Fahrenheit.
B) ​Kelvin
C) ​Celsius
D) ​equal proportions - all three sclaes are used.
E) ​both Kelvin and Celsius.

Question 64

​What is the lowest possible temperature on any of the three common temperature scales?

A) ​-273 degrees Fahrenheit.
B) ​0 Kelvin.
C) ​-100 degrees Celsius.
D) ​-273 Kelvin.
E) -100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Question 65

The atmospheric greenhouse effect occurs because the atmosphere allows ____________________ radiation to pass through, but inhibits to some degree the passage of ____________________ radiation leaving Earth's surface.​

Question 66

​Earth's surface temperature often ____________________ on a calm night as a low cloud moves overhead.

Question 67

​Airlines sometimes reroute planes away from polar regions during solar storms because

A) ​radio communication can be affected by solar storms.
B) ​solar storms can lead to severe turbulence.
C) ​solar storms increase air temperature, which can present a danger.
D) ​the plane could get hit by particles.
E) ​the sky can become too bright for safe navigation.

Question 68

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

Question 69

The lower atmosphere is warmed from the surface upward through longwave radiation from Earth, ____________________, and ____________________.

Question 70

____________________ can have adverse effects on electrical systems, satellites, and radio communications.

Question 71

The magnetosphere is​

A) ​composed of greenhouse gases.
B) ​a thin, magnetic layer surrounding the Sun.
C) ​a tear-dropped shaped cavity when it interacts with the solar wind.
D) ​a tiny magnetic field found surrounding the particles in solar winds and storms.
E) ​the Moon's magnetic field.

Question 72

Temperature is a measure of the average speed of ____________________ and ____________________.​

Question 73

Because Earth is ____________________ than the Sun, it emits ____________________ radiation than the Sun.​

Question 74

A small increase in temperature results in a large ____________________ in the amount of radiation emitted because doubling the absolute temperature of an object ____________________ the maximum energy output by a factor of 16, or 24.

Question 75

​Normally, solar wind approaches Earth at an average speed of ____.

A) ​300 km/sec
B) ​400 km/sec
C) ​500 km/sec
D) ​100 km/sec
E) ​1000 km/sec

Question 76

_______________ is energy in the process of being transferred from one object to another because of the ____________________ difference between them.
​

Question 77

​The total amount of energy stored in an object is called

A) ​potential energy
B) ​kinetic energy.
C) ​heat.
D) ​temperature
E) ​pressure

Question 78

​Solar wind is composed of ____________________, or ____________________, travelling through space.

Question 79

​Most climate models predict that Earth's average surface temperature will increase by an additional ____________________ by the end of this century.

Question 80

​The ability or capacity to do work on some form of matter is called

A) ​temperature
B) ​latent heat.
C) ​specific heat.
D) ​heat
E) ​energy