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WorksheetsCH17 TEST REVIEW 'THE ATMOSPHERE'
Total questions: 64
Worksheet time: 32mins
Which of the following is an example of climate?
A sudden snowstorm resulted in subzero temperatures and 30 cm of new snow.
In southern California, temperatures are generally mild and rainfall is low.
Record-breaking low temperatures caused a sudden freeze one day in Des Moines.
A week of rain caused widespread flooding in Seattle.
Most of Earth’s dry air is made up of
carbon dioxide and oxygen
nitrogen and argon
nitrogen and oxygen
oxygen and argon
What percentage of water vapor is found in the air?
0 to 1 percent
0 to 4 percent
0 to 8 percent
0 to 10 percent
How is ozone produced?
One molecule of oxygen is split into two atoms.
Two atoms of oxygen combine to form one oxygen molecule.
Two molecules of oxygen are split simultaneously into four atoms.
One atom of oxygen collides with one molecule of oxygen.
In which level of the atmosphere is ozone concentrated?
troposphere
stratosphere
mesosphere
thermosphere
Seasonal changes occur because of
Earth’s tilt
Earth’s shape
the distance between Earth and the moon
the time of year
Which of the following results when there is a temperature difference between two objects?
One object will always have more heat than the other object.
Both objects will gain more and more heat.
Heat is transferred from one object to the other.
The temperature of both objects increases.
The average kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules in a particular substance is known as
temperature
heat
conduction
convection
Because of convection, the warmest air in a room
spreads out in all directions.
rises toward the ceiling.
transfers heat to the walls.
sinks toward the floor.
Which of the following is an example of radiation?
A metal spoon becomes warm after being set in a pot of boiling water.
Warm water rises because it is less dense than cool water.
Pancake batter cooks quickly after being spooned onto a hot griddle.
Our atmosphere is constantly being heated by the Sun.
According to the electromagnetic spectrum,
a. long-wave radiation occupies a smaller percentage than short-wave radiation
b. gamma rays and X-rays have long wavelengths.
c. visible light waves have wavelengths of less than 1 micrometer.
d. ultraviolet light waves have some of the longest wavelengths.
Which of the following is NOT true about radiation?
Radiation cannot travel through a vacuum.
The hottest radiating bodies produce the shortest wavelengths.
All objects emit radiant energy.
Objects that absorb radiation well emit radiation equally as well.
The blue color of the sky is the result of
conduction
scattering
reflection
absorption
Which of the following is NOT a factor that controls temperature?
longitude
cloud cover
cloud cover
altitude
Vancouver, British Columbia, enjoys a moderate year-round climate, which is due to
the many mountain ranges surrounding the city.
its latitude.
its relatively high elevation.
its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean.
The temperature differences seen between Seattle, Washington, and Spokane, Washington, illustrate the effect of
cloud cover
geographic position
altitude
ocean currents
While both cities are at the same latitude, one city is on the coast and one city is in the mountains. The temperature differences seen between Quito, Ecuador, and Guayaquil, Ecuador, illustrate the effect of
cloud cover
geographic position
altitude
ocean currents
What causes clouds to reflect a portion of sunlight back to space?
the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere
evaporation from the land
temperature differences between the land and the atmosphere
a characteristic known as albedo
Clouds absorb outgoing radiation emitted by Earth and reradiate a portion of it back to the surface during
nighttime
daytime
summer
times of heavy rainfall
Which of the following is a general trend on a world isothermal map?
Temperatures decrease from east to west.
Isotherms become wider closer to the poles.
There are more isotherms closer to the equator.
Temperatures decrease from the tropics toward the poles.
What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?
oxygen
nitrogen
carbon dioxide
hydrogen
Which of the following terms best describes air?
element
compound
mixture
none of the above
The form of oxygen that combines three oxygen atoms into each molecule is called
argon.
thermopause.
chlorofluorocarbon.
ozone.
What is the lowest layer of the atmosphere?
thermosphere
troposphere
stratosphere
mesosphere
Most important weather phenomena occur in the
stratosphere.
mesosphere.
troposphere.
thermosphere.
Fifty percent of the gases that make up the atmosphere are found below
16.2 kilometers
12.8 kilometers
10.4 kilometers
5.6 kilometers
The tropopause is
the boundary between tropical and polar air masses.
the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.
the layer of high ozone concentration.
the boundary between Earth’s surface and atmosphere.
When do the sun’s rays strike latitude 23.5°S at an angle of 90 degrees?
June 21
March 21
September 21
December 21
When does the summer solstice occur in the Northern Hemisphere?
June 21
March 21
September 21
December 21
When does the autumnal equinox occur in the Southern Hemisphere?
June 21
March 21
September 21
December 21
On which date does the Antarctic Circle have 24 hours of daylight?
June 21
March 21
September 21
December 21
Which of the following is true about equinoxes?
They occur in June and December.
The sun’s vertical rays are striking either 23.5°S or 23.5°N.
Days and nights are equal in length everywhere.
The length of daylight in the Arctic and Antarctic Circles is 24 hours.
At which latitude would you expect the sun to be directly overhead at noon on April 21?
0°
8°S
8°N
23.5°N
At noon on February 21, the sun is overhead at
some point between 23.5°S and the equator, heading north.
the equator.
some point between 23.5°S and the equator, heading south.
23.5°N.
All matter is composed of atoms or molecules that have energy of motion, also known as
potential energy.
solar energy.
kinetic energy.
radiation.
When air transfers energy to a cooler object, what happens to the air temperature?
It increases.
It decreases.
It stays the same.
It fluctuates.
When energy is transferred to air, what happens to the particles of air?
They move slower.
They move faster.
They cool down.
none of the above
What causes heat, or the transfer of energy from one object to another?
differences in pressure
differences in temperature
high albedos
low albedos
Which electromagnetic waves have the longest wavelengths?
radio
infrared
gamma
ultraviolet
What process describes the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity?
conduction
convection
radiation
evaporation
Which process involves mass movement within a substance?
conduction
convection
radiation
reflection
Electromagnetic waves travel through space at a speed of
3000 kilometers per second.
30,000 kilometers per second.
300,000 kilometers per second.
3,000,000 kilometers per second.
A metal spoon becomes hot after being left in a pan of boiling water. This is an example of
convection.
conduction.
radiation.
reflection.
The heating of the lower layer of the atmosphere from radiation absorbed by certain heat-absorbing gases is called
the adiabatic effect.
the greenhouse effect.
the photosynthesis effect.
smog.
On average, how much of the sun’s energy that reaches Earth’s outer atmosphere is reflected back into space?
10 percent
20 percent
30 percent
50 percent
Earth receives energy from the sun through what method of heat transfer?
Conduction
Convection
Radiation
Insulation
On average, how much of the sun’s energy is absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere and clouds, without reaching Earth’s surface?
20 percent
30 percent
40 percent
50 percent
Which of the following best describes the primary wavelengths of radiation emitted by Earth’s surface?
longer than those emitted by the sun
shorter than those emitted by the sun
about the same as those emitted by the sun
none of the above
The 2 most important heat absorbing gases in the lower atmosphere are
oxygen and nitrogen
ozone and chlorofluorocarbon
argon and hydrogen
water vapor and carbon dioxide
What is NOT true about radiation?
It needs a medium through which to travel.
It travels out in all directions from its source.
It is one of three methods of heat transfer.
It can travel through a vacuum.
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
All objects, at any temperature, emit radiant energy.
The hottest radiating bodies produce the shortest wavelengths of maximum radiation.
Hotter objects radiate more total energy per unit area than do colder objects.
Objects that are good absorbers of radiation are good reflectors as well.
Which of the following is associated with weak light rays that travel in different directions?
reflection
conduction
scattering
convection
Which of the following is NOT a temperature control?
geographic position
ocean currents
nitrogen
cloud cover
In general, what is true about places at higher altitudes?
They have cooler temperatures than places at lower altitudes.
They have the same temperatures as places at lower altitudes.
They have warmer temperatures than places at lower altitudes.
They have less predictable temperatures than places at lower altitudes.
Which of the following best describes the temperatures of a city located along a windward coast?
warmer summer temperatures than an inland location at the same latitude
cooler summer temperatures than an inland location at the same latitude
summer temperatures that are very similar to an inland location at the same latitude
winter temperatures that are less mild than an inland location at the same latitude
Which of the following is true?
Land heats less rapidly than water.
Land heats more rapidly than water.
Land reaches higher temperatures than water
Both B and C
City A in the Southern Hemisphere and City B in the Northern Hemisphere are located at the same latitude. Which of the following is likely true about these cities?
City A has the larger annual temperature range.
City B has the larger annual temperature range.
Both cities likely have the same annual temperature range.
Both cities should have nearly identical winter temperatures.
Why are annual temperature ranges in the Southern Hemisphere generally smaller than those in the Northern Hemisphere?
Earth is closest to the sun during the Southern Hemisphere summer.
Less area is covered by desert in the Southern Hemisphere.
There is a greater percentage of water surface in the Southern Hemisphere.
There is a greater proportion of mountainous land in the Southern Hemisphere.
Which of the following best describes temperature variations?
Variations are greater over land than over water.
Variations are greater over water than over land.
Variations are the same over water and land.
Variations over water cannot be determined.
Isotherms are lines that connect points of equal
latitude
temperature
elevation
pressure
Which of the following best describes the general air temperature on a cloudy night?
lower than on a clear night
higher than on a clear night
the same as on a clear night
less predictable than on a clear night
Many clouds have a high albedo and therefore tend to
absorb sunlight.
reflect sunlight.
transmit sunlight.
radiate sunlight.
At night, clouds act as a blanket by
absorbing incoming radiation.
absorbing outgoing radiation.
reflecting incoming radiation.
reflecting outgoing radiation.
The greenhouse effect is primarily caused by which gas?
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Carbon Dioxide
Hydrogen
