chapter 15 the atmosphere
what percentage of the atmosphere is composed of oxygen?
21 percent
normal precipitation had a pH of about 5.6. what might acid precipitation have, ?
4.6
in general, warm air can hold less water vapor than cooler air:
False, more
climate refers to atmostphereic conditons over short time periods, typically hours or days, and within relatively small areas.
False, weather
fossil fuels
a carbon-containing fuel formed over millions of years from the remains of living things
secondary air pollutants
a harmful substance produced when a primary pollutant reacts with other substances
air mass
a large body of air in which properties such as temperature, pressure & humidity are similar
primary air pollutants
a pollutant released directly into the troposphere
montreal protocol
a treaty that limits the production of chlorofluorocarbons
is the force exerted by air on the area below it:
air pressure
clean air act
an act that sets strict standards for air quality and strengthens the governments ability to enforce regulations
smog
an unhealthy mixture of air pollutants that can form over cities and nearby areas
the _____ is the thin layer of gasses that surrounds earth
atmostphere
a device in a motor vehicle that reduces the amount of air pollutants in emissions is a :
catalytic converter
ozone depletion was caused by the following chemicals, which were used in refrigerators and aerosol spray cans
chlorofluorocarbons
describes the pattern of atmospheric conditons in large geographic regions over long periods of time
climate
what is the source of most air pollution?
combustion of fossil fuels
substances, such as smoke and carbon monoxide, released into the air are called
emissions
the transfer of heat(energy) through space is called conduction
false, radiation
The ozone layer is found within the troposphere
false, stratosphere
ozone is beneficial when it is in the troposphere
false, stratosphere
as a result of the clean air act, today, gasoline used by cars and trucks in the united states contains very LARGE quantities of lead
false: small
the boundary between air masses that differs in temperature and moisture is called a
front
how does carbon monoxide interfere with your bodys ability to deliver oxygen to cells?
it binds to hemoglobin, thus depriving cells of oxygen
how does carbon monoxide affect human health?
it interferes with the bodys ability to deliver oxygen to cells
how does the ozone layer benefit living things on earth?
it protects life from the suns ultraviolet rays
what is a provision of the clean air act?
it sets aside funds for research into pollution control
carbon-containing fuels, or fossil fuels, formed millions of years ago from the remains of
living organisms
the ozone hole was located primarily above
montreal, canada
what is the main source of pollutants in photochemical smog?
motor vehicle emissions
the air you breathe in from the atmosphere is made mostly of
nitrogen
the term____ was used to describe the area of lowered ozone concentration over Antarctica
ozone hole
which type of precipitation may contain acidic pollutants
rain snow sleet
a ratio that compares the amount of water vapor the air contains to the maximum amount that the air could hold at that temperature is
relative humidity
pollutants are removed or changed chemically before they leave factory smokestacks by an:
scrubber
the ______ is the second lowest layer of the atmostphere, as measured from earths surface
stratosphere
a ___ can trap smog close to the surface. it happens when a layer of cool, dense air stays near the ground and under a layer of warm air
temperature inversion
ozone hole
the area of lowered ozone concentration over Antarctica
ozone layer
the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere
temperature inversion
the condition in the troposphere in which a layer of cooler air lives beneath a layer of warmer air
mesosphere
the layer of the atmosphere above the stratosphere, extends 50 to 80 km above sea level
convection currents
the movement in a fluid as warm parts of the fluid rise and cool parts sink
air pollution
the release of damaging materials into the atmosphere
what is the source of the energy that drives air movement in the troposphere and influences weather and climate?
the sun
thermosphere
the top layer of the atmosphere; extends from 80 km above sea level infinitely into space
conduction
the transfer of heat directly between two objects that are in contact with each other
convection
the transfer of heat in a fluid as warm parts of the fluid rise from the heat source and expand
radiation, conduction, and convection are the three main methods of
transferring heat
in which main layer of earths atmosphere does weather most occur?
troposphere
the lowest layer of earths atmosphere, the one directly about the ground, is called the
troposphere
trace amounts of air pollutants may contribute to cancer
true
acid deposition
water vapor containing acids that sticks to the ground as rain, snow, sleet or hail
the pH scale is used to measure
whether solutions are acidic or alkaline
was the Montreal protocol a success? explain
yes bc the ozone hole is closing now
