Earth's Atmosphere: Structure and Composition of the Atmosphere

Which gas is most abundant in Earth's atmosphere? oxygen nitrogen water vapor carbon dioxide

nitrogen

Which phrase describes air density? increases as altitude increases equals mass divided by volume pushes molecules in one direction exerts less pressure as it increases

equals mass divided by volume

Which two layers are part of the thermosphere? exosphere and ionosphere ionosphere and mesosphere mesosphere and stratosphere stratosphere and troposphere

exosphere and ionosphere

Joe, a hiker, stands at the top of a hill on a trail above the ocean. Joe's friend Dave is just starting out at the trailhead, which is at the beach. Which statement about this scenario is accurate? - The air Joe is breathing is denser than the air at sea level. - The air pressure is higher where Joe is than where Dave is. - If Joe keeps going up, air pressure will continue to decrease. - The air Joe is breathing is denser than the air Dave is breathing.

If Joe keeps going up, air pressure will continue to decrease.

Which is one way that Earth's atmosphere supports life? It filters out oxygen. It keeps Earth warm. It increases UV radiation. It provides a solid shield.

It keeps Earth warm.

Which gas in Earth's atmosphere has increased over time due to burning fossil fuels? oxygen nitrogen water vapor carbon dioxide

carbon dioxide

Which characteristic describes the troposphere? contains the ozone layer has the highest air pressure spans 12-50 km above Earth is a good place for planes to fly

has the highest air pressure

Which word describes the amount of matter an object contains? altitude density mass pressure

mass

Which gas in Earth's atmosphere helps living things make proteins? oxygen nitrogen water vapor carbon dioxide

nitrogen

Read the question, and then use the drop-down menus to complete the paragraph. What is Earth's atmosphere made of? The most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere is ___, followed by ____, which is needed to burn wood and fuel. argon nitrogen oxygen carbon dioxide

nitrogen oxygen

Which gas in Earth's atmosphere forms ozone? oxygen nitrogen water vapor carbon dioxide

oxygen

The ozone in the ___ protects people from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The ____ has the highest temperature of any layer in Earth's atmosphere. thermosphere stratosphere troposphere

stratosphere thermosphere

Which lists the layers of the atmosphere from Earth's surface outward? - troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere - troposphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere - thermosphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, troposphere - stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

As altitude increases, what happens to air pressure? It fluctuates. It increases. It decreases. It stays the same.

It decreases.

Which atmospheric layer is where Earth's northern and southern lights occur? mesosphere stratosphere thermosphere troposphere

thermosphere

Which statements correctly describe the properties of air? Select three options. - Air has mass but no weight. - Air pressure is created by the weight of the atmosphere pushing on Earth's surface. - Pressure is a measure of how tightly molecules are packed. - Denser air is heavier than less dense air. - Air is less dense at higher altitudes.

Air pressure is created by the weight of the atmosphere pushing on Earth's surface. Denser air is heavier than less dense air. Air is less dense at higher altitudes.

Which statement accurately describes the relationship between air pressure, air density, or altitude? - As altitude increases, pressure increases. - As altitude increases, air density increases. - Air pressure and density are lowest at sea level. - Denser air exerts more pressure than less dense air.

Denser air exerts more pressure than less dense air.

Which phrase describes density? height of a point above sea level force pushing on an area or a surface amount of mass in a certain volume amount of matter an object contains

amount of mass in a certain volume

The third-most abundant gas is ___. The amount of ____ in the atmosphere is very small, making up just 0.033% of the atmosphere, but it is very important because plants use it to make simple sugars. argon oxygen nitrogen carbon dioxide

argon carbon dioxide

Which phrase describes air pressure? - decreases with denser air - decreases as altitude decreases - equals mass divided by volume - decreases as a result of fewer air particles pushing down

decreases as a result of fewer air particles pushing down

Which atmospheric layer prevents meteoroids from reaching Earth's surface? mesosphere stratosphere thermosphere troposphere

mesosphere

If the ___ did not exist, Earth might be destroyed by chunks of rock from space. The ___ is located 12 to 50 kilometers from Earth's surface. Both the ___ get colder as altitude increases. thermosphere stratosphere mesosphere ionosphere thermosphere and troposphere stratosphere and mesosphere mesosphere and troposphere

mesosphere stratosphere mesosphere and troposphere

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences about why Earth's atmosphere is important to living things. Earth's atmosphere provides ___ that animals need to breathe. The atmosphere keeps Earth warm, allowing ___ to exist as a liquid. Earth's atmosphere filters out harmful radiation from the ___. nitrogen oxygen carbon dioxide water sun ground moon

oxygen water sun

Another important gas is water vapor, which condenses around ____ in the atmosphere to form clouds and then rain. small particles ice crystals gas molecules

small particles

Which factor increases as a result of increasing altitude? air pressure air density height of sea level space between gas molecules

space between gas molecules

Which atmospheric layer gets warmer as altitude increases and contains the ozone layer? mesosphere stratosphere thermosphere troposphere

stratosphere

Which phrase defines altitude? - how tightly molecules are packed - a column of air pushing on an area - the force pushing on an area or a surface - the height of a given point above sea level

the height of a given point above sea level

Which describes one of oxygen's roles in Earth's atmosphere? allows fuels to burn forms clouds that produce rain is the gas that animals exhale is used by plants to produce food

allows fuels to burn

Which correctly list the three gases that each make up less than 1 percent of Earth's atmosphere? argon, water vapor, carbon dioxide oxygen, argon, water vapor nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide carbon dioxide, oxygen, argon

argon, water vapor, carbon dioxide

Which statement describes an important role of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere? - Animals breathe carbon dioxide. - Plants use carbon dioxide to make food. - Carbon dioxide helps animals make proteins. - Carbon dioxide forms clouds that produce rain.

Plants use carbon dioxide to make food.

Which correctly lists three characteristics that are used to describe air? altitude, density, radiation density, radiation, mass mass, pressure, density pressure, altitude, radiation

mass, pressure, density