Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

Solar radiation reaching Earth's surface includes ultraviolet (UV), visible, and infrared (IR) radiation. This spectrum of radiation is essential for processes like photosynthesis and warming the planet's surface.

Question 2

A vertical exchange of heat is called ____.
A)convection
B)evaporation
C)compression
D)condensation
E)expansion

Accepted Answer

Convection is the process of heat transfer through a fluid (gas or liquid) in a vertical manner, typically due to temperature differences within the fluid.

Question 3

The proper order from longest to shortest wavelength is ____.
A)visible, infrared, and ultraviolet
B)infrared, visible, and ultraviolet
C)ultraviolet, visible, and infrared
D)visible, ultraviolet, and infrared

Accepted Answer

Infrared light has a longer wavelength than visible light, and visible light has a longer wavelength than ultraviolet light, making the correct order from longest to shortest wavelength: infrared, visible, and ultraviolet.

Question 4

Horizontal transport by the wind is called ____.
A)advection
B)radiation
C)conduction
D)latent heat
E)reflection

Accepted Answer

Advection refers to the horizontal movement of air or water from one area to another, often carrying heat, moisture, or other atmospheric properties with it. This is a key process in meteorology and climatology, influencing weather patterns and climate conditions.

Question 5

How do red and blue light differ?
A)Blue light has a higher speed of propagation.
B)Red light has a lower intensity.
C)Red light has a higher intensity.
D)The wavelength of red light is longer.
E)The wavelength of blue light is longer.

Accepted Answer

The wavelength of red light is longer than that of blue light. This is a fundamental property of light that relates to its color in the visible spectrum. Blue light has shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies, while red light has longer wavelengths and lower frequencies.

Question 6

At which temperature would Earth be radiating energy at the greatest rate or intensity?
A)-5 degrees Fahrenheit
B)-40 degrees Fahrenheit
C)60 degrees Fahrenheit
D)32 degrees Fahrenheit
E)105 degrees Fahrenheit

Accepted Answer

According to the Stefan-Boltzmann law, the rate of energy radiation from a black body is proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature. Therefore, the higher the temperature, the greater the rate of energy radiation. Among the given options, 105 degrees Fahrenheit is the highest temperature, so Earth would be radiating energy at the greatest rate or intensity at this temperature.

Question 7

What type of energy has a wavelength longer than that of red light?
A)Green visible radiation
B)Blue visible radiation
C)Infrared radiation
D)Red visible radiation
E)Ultraviolet radiation

Accepted Answer

Infrared radiation has a longer wavelength than red light, placing it just beyond the visible spectrum on the electromagnetic spectrum.

Question 8

What is released as sensible heat during the formation of clouds?
A)Deposition
B)Longwave radiation
C)Latent heat
D)Shortwave radiation
E)Sublimation

Accepted Answer

Latent heat is released as sensible heat during the formation of clouds.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

The heat energy released when water vapor changes to a liquid is called the latent heat of condensation. This process involves the release of energy as the gas phase transitions to the liquid phase without a change in temperature.

Question 10

Which of the following is the poorest conductor of heat?
A)Soil
B)Snow
C)Ice
D)Water
E)Still air

Accepted Answer

Still air is the poorest conductor of heat among the options listed. This is because air, when not moving, has a very low thermal conductivity, making it an effective insulator. Heat transfer through still air occurs mainly through radiation and conduction, but at a much slower rate compared to the other substances listed.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Snow will usually melt on the roof...

Question 12

A lake behind a dam contains energy by virtue of its position. This energy is known as ____.
A)potential energy
B)kinetic energy
C)sensible heat energy
D)static energy
E)latent heat energy

Accepted Answer

The answer of A lake behind a dam contains energy...

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Wrapping an object in aluminum foil with the shiny side facing outward reflects sunlight and its associated heat away from the object, helping to keep it cool. Other materials mentioned absorb more heat or do not effectively reflect sunlight.

Question 14

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.

Accepted Answer

As an air parcel rises in the atmosphere, it expands due to lower atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes. This expansion leads to a decrease in temperature, hence the air parcel cools.

Question 15

What determines the type (wavelength)and amount of radiation an object emits?
A)Temperature
B)Thermal conductivity
C)Density
D)Latent heat
E)Specific heat

Accepted Answer

The type (wavelength) and amount of radiation an object emits are primarily determined by its temperature, according to the Planck's law of black-body radiation. Higher temperatures result in shorter wavelengths of emitted radiation.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

Condensation and freezing both release sensible heat into the environment as they are exothermic processes, meaning they release heat when water vapor condenses into liquid water or when liquid water freezes into ice.

Question 17

The rising air bubbles from convection are known as ____.
A)advection
B)expansion
C)convection
D)friction
E)thermals

Accepted Answer

Thermals are rising air currents that are caused by the warming of the Earth's surface by the sun, leading to the heating of the air above it. This process is a type of convection, where warmer, less dense air rises and cooler, denser air descends.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

The tops of cars cool down by losing heat through radiation. During the night, objects like car tops radiate heat to the sky, cooling down below the ambient air temperature, which can lead to the formation of frost even when the air temperature is above freezing.

Question 19

When water changes from a solid to a vapor, without going through a liquid state, we call this process ____.
A)freezing
B)condensation
C)sublimation
D)deposition
E)evaporation

Accepted Answer

Sublimation is the process where a solid changes directly into a gas without passing through the liquid state.

Question 20

The amount of heat energy required to bring about a change in temperature in a substance is called the ____.
A)heat capacity
B)dead heat
C)conduction heat
D)latent heat
E)radiative equilibrium

Accepted Answer

Heat capacity is the term used to describe the amount of heat energy required to change the temperature of a substance.

Quiz 2: Energy: Warming Earth and the Atmosphere

Solar radiation reaches Earth's surface as ____.

A vertical exchange of heat is called ____.

The proper order from longest to shortest wavelength is ____.

Horizontal transport by the wind is called ____.

How do red and blue light differ?

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

What type of energy has a wavelength longer than that of red light?

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

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

Which of the following is the poorest conductor of heat?

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

A lake behind a dam contains energy by virtue of its position. This energy is known as ____.

To keep an object cool while exposed to direct sunlight, ____.

The temperature of a rising air parcel ____.

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

The processes of condensation and freezing ____.

The rising air bubbles from convection are known as ____.

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 ____.

When water changes from a solid to a vapor, without going through a liquid state, we call this process ____.

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