Chapter 1 & Chapter 2

The formation of ice releases heat and warms the surroundings. a. True b. False

a. True

An object that radiates more energy than it absorbs will ____. a. become colder b. reach radiative equilibrium c. maintain the same temperature d. become warmer

a. become colder

The atmospheric greenhouse effect is due primarily to the fact that ___. a. carbon dioxide and water vapor absorb infrared radiation b. oxygen and ozone absorb ultraviolet radiation c. nitrogen and oxygen transmit visible radiation d. cloud formation releases latent heat energy

a. carbon dioxide and water vapor absorb infrared radiation

Earth emits radiation with greatest intensity at ____ wavelengths. a. infrared b. visible c. ultraviolet d. radio

a. infrared

The wavelength of radiation is ____ proportional to the energy carried per wave. a. inversely b. slightly c. not d. directly

a. inversely

Which process accounts for the sky's blue color? a. light scattering b. albedo c. thermal convection d. light reflection

a. light scattering

Energy transferred by electromagnetic waves is called ____. a. radiation b. conduction c. magnetism d. convection

a. radiation

A towering cloud, or cluster of clouds, accompanied by thunder, lightning, strong gusty winds, and heavy rain is called a(n) ____. a. thunderstorm b. hurricane c. tornado d. cyclone

a. thunderstorm

All of the weather we are familiar with on Earth occurs in the ____. a. troposphere b. stratosphere c. mesosphere d. exosphere

a. troposphere

Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 0.4 and 0.7 micrometers is called ____. a. visible light b. infrared light c. ultraviolet light d. microwaves

a. visible light

Earth's first atmosphere (approximately 4.6 billion years ago) was most likely composed of ____. a. oxygen and carbon dioxide b. hydrogen and helium c. carbon dioxide and nitrogen d. nitrogen and oxygen

b. hydrogen and helium

In a temperature inversion, air temperature ____. a. remains constant with increasing height b. increases with increasing height c. increases with decreasing height d. decreases with increasing height

b. increases with increasing height

The energy of motion is known as ____. a. specific heat b. kinetic energy c. potential energy d. radiant energy

b. kinetic energy

Earth's radiation is often referred to as ____ radiation, while the sun's radiation is often referred to as ____ radiation. a. shortwave; shortwave b. longwave; shortwave c. longwave; longwave d. shortwave; longwave

b. longwave; shortwave

Extratropical cyclones are found ____. a. inside the tropics b. outside the tropics c. at the equator d. both inside and outside the tropics

b. outside the tropics

For maximum winter warmth in the Northern Hemisphere, large windows in a house should face ____. a. north b. south c. east d. west

b. south

Which characteristic of air provides a measure of the average speed of the atoms and molecules? a. evaporation b. temperature c. pressure d. density

b. temperature

During atmospheric convection, rising air bubbles are called ____. a. clouds b. thermals c. vapors d. wind

b. thermals

Atmospheric concentrations of ____ can vary significantly depending on time and location. a. argon b. water vapor c. hydrogen d. helium

b. water vapor

Earth is closest to the sun in ____. a. July b. September c. January d. March

c. January

Areas of high atmospheric pressure are also known as ____. a. hurricanes b. tornadoes c. anticyclones d. troughs

c. anticyclones

As the temperature of an object ____, the intensity of the radiation emitted by the object ____. a. increases; decreases b. decreases; increases c. increases; increases d. decreases; stays the same

c. increases; increases

Without the atmospheric greenhouse effect, the average surface temperature of Earth would be ___. a. higher than at present b. much more variable than it is now c. lower than at present d. the same as it is now

c. lower than at present

The longest wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponds to the color ____. a. yellow b. violet c. red d. blue

c. red

The auroras are caused by charged particles originating from ____. a. the South Pole b. the North Pole c. solar wind d. Earth's atmosphere

c. solar wind

The wavelengths of radiation that an object emits depend primarily on the object's ____. a. density b. reflective surfaces c. temperature d. photons

c. temperature

The freezing of pure water is 32° on the ____ scale. a. absolute b. Kelvin c. Celsius d. Fahrenheit

d. Fahrenheit

When it is January and winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is ____ in the Southern Hemisphere. a. July and summer b. July and winter c. January and winter d. January and summer

d. January and summer

Seasons on Earth are regulated by ___. a. only Earth's nearness to the sun b. only the length of daylight hours c. only the angle sunlight strikes Earth's surface d. both the length of daylight hours and the angle sunlight strikes Earth's surface

d. both the length of daylight hours and the angle sunlight strikes Earth's surface

In the lower atmosphere, any air that rises will ____ and cool. a. compress b. evaporate c. vaporize d. expand

d. expand

What is responsible for the cold feeling that you experience after leaving a swimming pool on a hot, dry summer day? a. heat transport by radiation b. heat transport by conduction c. heat transport by convection d. heat transport by latent heat

d. heat transport by latent heat

A tropical storm system with winds in excess of 74 mi/hr in the eastern Pacific is called a(n) ____. a. extratropical cyclone b. tornado c. anticyclone d. hurricane

d. hurricane

Average atmospheric CO 2 concentrations have ____ over the past 100 years. a. slightly decreased b. remained constant c. significantly decreased d. increased

d. increased

Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere through the process of ____. a. photosynthesis b. fuel combustion c. volcanic activity d. respiration

d. respiration

troposphere: ____ stratosphere: ____ mesosphere: ____ thermosphere: ____ exosphere: ____ a) The air is extremely thin and the atmospheric pressure is quite low. The percentage of nitrogen and oxygen in this layer is about the same as it is at Earth's surface, but contains far fewer oxygen molecules. b) In this layer, collisions between gas molecules and atoms are so infrequent that fast-moving lighter molecules can actually escape Earth's gravitational pull, and shoot off into space. c) This layer is well stirred and contains all of the weather that we are familiar with on Earth and where temperature decreases with height. d) In this layer, oxygen molecules (O2) absorb energetic solar rays making it the warmest part of the atmosphere. This is also the location where the bulk of the ionosphere lies. e) In this layer, air temperature begins to increase with height producing a temperature inversion, which reduces the amount of vertical motion. This is also the layer in which the ozone layer lies.

troposphere: c stratosphere: b mesosphere: a thermosphere: d exosphere: e