Unit 11: Climate Change

Climate refers to...?

• Animal migration patterns
• Geological formations
• Short-term weather patterns
• Long-term patterns of temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-1

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

Which of the following best describes the percentages of atmospheric gases on Earth?

• 40% nitrogen, 60% oxygen, 0% other gases
• 30% nitrogen, 70% oxygen, 0% other gases
• 50% nitrogen, 50% oxygen, 0% other gases
• 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gases

The oxygen in our current atmosphere is the result of...?

• Volcanic activity
• Alien intervention
• Cellular respiration
• Photosynthesis

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS1-5

NGSS.HS-LS2-5

Match the following layers of the Earth's atmosphere with the best description.

• Mesosphere

• Coldest layer of the atmosphere; often called the middle layer

• Trophosphere

• Less concentrated layer with very little water vapor & a lot of ozone; very calm & takes a long time for substances/gases to transition out of this layer

• Thermosphere

• Presence of highly ionized (electrically charged) gases, heated by steady flow of high-energy solar & cosmic radiation

• Stratosphere

• Most dense layer that is adjacent to Earth's surface; air circulates via convention currents moving air & heat around the planet

The primary source of energy for the Earth is ...?

• Wind
• Sun
• Fossil fuels

• Coal

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-1

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

Roughly this percent of incoming solar energy is reflected by clouds & atmospheric gases?

• 40%
• 10%

• 50%
• 25%

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

Roughly this percent of incoming solar energy is absorbed by greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide & water vapor)?

• 45%

• 75%
• 50%
• 25%

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

50% of incoming solar energy...?

• reaches the Earth's surface as light or infrared energy (such as heat)

• is reflected by clouds & atmospheric gases

• is absorbed by greenhouse gases

• is reflected by greenhouse gases

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-4

Substances with high albedos do THIS with energy?

• transform it

• reflect it

• absorb it

• destroy it

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

Solar energy that reaches the surface is utilized in many ways, including as energy for photosynthesis, evaporating water & being absorbed to heat material/substances.

According to the 2nd law of thermodynamics, that absorbed/used energy is then...?

• reflected back to the surface

• re-emitted from materials/substances/the surface as low-quality heat energy

• destroyed so it doesn't overheat the Earth

• transformed into potential energy that stays on Earth indefinitely

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS3-4