Homework 6
Compare the atmospheric properties of the planets in the table to the right. The surface temperature is the average for the entire planet in units of Kelvin (subtract 273 from that number to convert it into units of Celsius). The surface pressure is related to how thick the atmosphere is (thicker atmospheres have more air molecules packed into the same volume, and thus higher pressure). Given the information in this table, how would you explain the difference in greenhouse effect strength for each of the planets?
Mars has a weak greenhouse effect because it has very low surface pressure. Venus has a very strong greenhouse effect because it has a high percentage of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere and also a high surface pressure.
Sort each of the five terrestrial bodies into the appropriate category based on the type of atmosphere it currently retains, if any.
Secondary Atmopshere: Venus, Mars, Earth No Atmosphere: Mercury, Earth's moon
Why is Jupiter reddish in color?
because of the composition of its atmosphere
Why does Mercury have so little gas in its atmosphere?
Its escape velocity is low, It is close to the Sun, It has a high temperature, and Its mass is small.
Why do Jupiter and Saturn appear red/white and brownish orange, while Uranus and Neptune are blue? From the following figures displaying the composition of the Jovian planets with depth, choose the most likely reason for this difference. Note that we are looking at/through the upper cloud layers of each planet, which gives us the perception of a visible surface. Labels of "ice" in the figure refer to clouds made of tiny ice crystals, not a solid layer of ice.
The cloud tops of Jupiter and Saturn have a different composition from the cloud tops of Uranus and Neptune.
Once all the giant planets were discovered, scientists could compare their properties to learn something about them. Study this picture, and choose the following options that match your observations.
The planets range from having very distinct feature details with a variety of colors to being completely featureless and monochrome Some planets differ considerably in color from one another.
Why do Jupiter and Saturn have no blue methane cloud tops?
They are too warm for methane to condense
Venus is hot and Mars is cold primarily because
Venus has a much thicker atmosphere
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is
a storm that has been raging for more than 300 years
The oxygen molecules in Earth's atmosphere
are the result of life.
The main greenhouse gases in the atmospheres of the terrestrial planets are
carbon dioxide and water vapor
When viewed through a telescope, Uranus and Neptune are distinctly bluish green in color. What gas is responsible for this striking appearance?
methane
Methane gas absorbs red light, and methane clouds reflect blue light, giving Uranus and Neptune their distinctive blue colors. Why do Uranus and Neptune have methane clouds, but Jupiter and Saturn do not? Study the red curves in the following figures to determine which factor most likely plays a role in the composition of each planet's cloud tops.
temperature
Zonal winds on the giant planets are stronger than those on the terrestrial planets because
the giant planets rotate faster
Hadley circulation is broken into zonal winds by
the planet's rapid rotation
Less massive molecules tend to escape from an atmosphere more often than more massive ones because
they are moving faster
All weather and wind on Earth are a result of convection in the
troposphere
The ozone layer protects life on Earth from
ultraviolet radiation
