Take-home Quiz #1 KEY

January 27, 2012
  1. [4 pts] The atmospheric temperature increases with increasing altitude in the stratosphere and thermosphere; the atmospheric temperature decreases with increasing altitude in the troposphere and mesosphere.

  2. [6 pts] Earth’s Primoridal atmosphere consisted mostly of hydrogen and helium gases. It was soon lost to space and replaced by a Secondary atmosphere formed by planetary outgassing.

  3. [7 pts] Heat tends to travel naturally from warm regions to cool regions. [relative temperatures] If the heat is transferred by collisions between molecules, then “conduction” has occurred. [do not use the term “molecular activity”]

  4. [6 pts] The temperature of a substance goes up as the average kinetic energy of the molecules in the substance goes up. The term “heat” would apply to the total kinetic energy of the molecules in the sample of the substance.

  5. [6 pts] As a blackbody’s temperature increases, the rate at which electromagnetic radiation is emitted goes up. This is quantified by the Stefan-Boltzmann Law.

  6. [4 pts] Heat is transferred directly from the ground to the air lying on it by conduction. The heat is then transported upward toward the upper troposphere by convection.

  7. [6 pts] Sunlight entering the Earth’s atmosphere is partially reflected back out to space by air molecules, dust particles, _______________________________, and _________________________________, among other things. [clouds, ice, snow, oceans, sand, vegetation, etc.]

  8. [4 pts] Insolation on Earth varies significantly over the course of the year because the Earth is tilted in its orbit around the Sun. The angle the sunlight hits the Earth surface varies during the year, which causes the sunlight intensity to vary; also, the daylight length changes during the year, causing additional changes to the insolation.

  9. [3 pts] In the Northern Hemisphere, June 21st (or thereabouts) is known as the Summer Solstice, which is the day with the longest daylight time and the day when the noontime Sun reaches its highest point in the sky. [two-word term]

  10. [4 pts] Visible light can be reflected off the surface of an object; transmitted through the object; or absorbed by the object.