Deck 2: Energy: Warming Earth and the Atmosphere

Question 1

Why does an air parcel become cooler as it rises and expands?

A)The air pressure around the parcel increases as it rises.
B)As molecules push outward to expand the parcel the parcel loses energy.
C)Water vapour in the parcel evaporates as it rises.
D)The density of the air parcel decreases as it rises.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

City A is located on the shoreline of a large body of water. City B is located 100 km inland from the same body of water. In this scenario, which of the following statements is the most likely?

A)City A will have warmer temperatures in summer.
B)City B will have colder temperatures in winter.
C)The two cities will have similar temperatures only in summer.
D)The two cities will have similar temperatures in both summer and winter.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The albedo of the Earth's surface is about 4 percent, yet the combined albedo of the Earth and the atmosphere is about 30 percent. Which of the following conditions BEST explains why this is the case?

A)low albedo of clouds, low albedo of water
B)high albedo of clouds, low albedo of water
C)low albedo of clouds, high albedo of water
D)high albedo of clouds, high albedo of water

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following terms refers to the amount of heat energy required to bring about a small change in temperature?

A)radiative equilibrium
B)dead heat
C)latent heat
D)specific heat

Question 5

As air in the figure below moves from A to B, what will happen to its volume?

A)It will increase.
B)It will decrease.
C)It will decrease at first, and then increase.
D)It will remain the same.

Question 6

As you walk across a sandy beach on a summer day, the bottoms of your feet become extremely hot. This is an example of which type of heat transfer?

A)radiation
B)ultrasonic
C)conduction
D)convection

Question 7

Two objects have the same temperature. Object A feels colder to the touch than object B. Which of the following properties may explain this difference between the two objects?

A)latent heat
B)thermal conductivity
C)specific heat
D)density

Question 8

Which of the following regions of the spectrum represent the Earth's atmospheric window?

A)infrared region
B)polar regions
C)visible region
D)ultraviolet region

Question 9

Of the following measurements, which is the longest?

A)3000 micrometres
B)25 mm
C)2 cm
D)10^-3 m

Question 10

Which of the following terms refers to the luminous surface of the sun?

A)corona
B)photosphere
C)chromosphere
D)thermosphere

Question 11

Which of the following terms refers to the change of state of water from a liquid to a vapour?

A)condensation
B)evaporation
C)freezing
D)sublimation

Question 12

Which of the following statements describes what would happen if the amount of energy lost each year by the Earth to space were not approximately equal to that received?

A)The sun's output would change.
B)The length of the year would change.
C)The atmosphere's average temperature would change.
D)The mass of the atmosphere would change.

Question 13

Which of the following processes occurs when rising air cools?

A)compression
B)condensation
C)evaporation
D)expansion

Question 14

Which of the following statements explains why low clouds slow surface cooling at night better than clear skies do?

A)Clouds start convection currents among them.
B)Water droplets in the clouds reflect infrared energy back to the Earth.
C)Clouds absorb and radiate infrared energy back to the Earth.
D)Clouds conduct heat better than clear night air does.

Question 15

Which of the following defines the term latent?

A)hidden
B)dense
C)light
D)hot

Question 16

Which of the following percentages represents the approximate combined albedo of the Earth and the atmosphere?

A)50%
B)30%
C)10%
D)4%

Question 17

At which of the following temperatures does the Earth radiate energy at the greatest rate or intensity?

A)-40°C
B)32°C
C)60°C
D)105°C

Question 18

Which of the following is the poorest conductor of heat?

A)soil
B)water
C)snow
D)still air

Question 19

In which of the following forms is most of the radiation emitted by the human body?

A)visible radiation, but too weak to be visible
B)invisible ultraviolet radiation
C)invisible gamma radiation
D)invisible infrared radiation

Question 20

Which of the following terms refers to the change of state of ice into water vapour?

A)sublimation
B)condensation
C)crystallization
D)melting

Question 21

Suppose the absolute temperature of an object doubles. By which of the following factors will the maximum energy emitted increase?

A)16
B)4
C)2
D)8

Question 22

The recorded air temperature the night after a heavy snowfall is much lower than the previous night despite a similar air mass being in place for both nights. What is the best explanation for this change in air temperature?

A)Snow is a poor conductor of heat.
B)Snow is a poor reflector of heat.
C)Snow is a poor radiator of heat.
D)Snow has a low albedo.

Question 23

Which of the following is the term often used to describe the form of radiation emitted by the Earth?

A)shortwave
B)longwave
C)gamma
D)microwave

Question 24

When you touch a wooden chair and a glass table top in the same room, the glass feels cooler. Why?

A)The chair is warmer.
B)Glass has a higher specific heat than wood.
C)Latent heat is being transferred from the glass to your skin.
D)Glass is a better conductor of heat than wood.

Question 25

As air in the figure above moves from A to B, what will happen to its temperature?

A)It will decrease.
B)It will decrease at first, and then increase.
C)It will increase.
D)It will remain the same.

Question 26

Which of the following is the term often used to describe the form of radiation emitted by the sun?

A)microwave
B)shortwave
C)gamma
D)longwave

Question 27

Which of the following processes can occur when heat is transferred outward from the surface of the moon?

A)latent heat
B)convection
C)conduction
D)radiation

Question 28

Which of the following is the range of wavelengths corresponding to the maximum amount of radiation emitted by the Earth?

A)0.5 micrometre 10 micrometers
B)1 micrometre 1 micrometer
C)10 micrometres 30 micrometers
D)30 micrometres 0.5 micrometers

Question 29

Suppose last night was clear and calm and tonight there will be low clouds. Which of the following can be predicted about tonight's minimum temperature?

A)It will be higher than last night's minimum temperature.
B)It will be above freezing.
C)It will be the same as last night's minimum temperature.
D)It will be lower than last night's minimum temperature.

Question 30

How much radiant energy will an object emit if its temperature is at absolute zero?

A)none
B)the same as at any other temperature
C)It depends on the object's chemical composition
D)the maximum theoretical amount

Question 31

Which of the following processes makes perspiration cool the body?

A)advective heat transfer
B)latent heat transfer
C)radiative heat transfer
D)conductive heat transfer

Question 32

Which of the following defines Earth's radiative equilibrium temperature?

A)the average temperature Earth must maintain to prevent the oceans from freezing solid
B)the temperature at which solar radiation and infrared radiation are absorbed at equal rates
C)the temperature at which the Earth radiates energy at maximum intensity
D)the temperature at which rates of evaporation and condensation on the Earth are in balance

Question 33

According to the Stefan-Boltzmann law, which of the following statements expresses the radiative energy emitted by one square metre of an object?

A)It is equal to a constant multiplied by its temperature, raised to the negative third power.
B)It is equal to a constant multiplied by its temperature, raised to the second power.
C)It is equal to a constant multiplied by its temperature, raised to the fourth power.
D)It is equal to a constant multiplied by its temperature, raised to the tenth power.

Question 34

Which of the following gases are mainly responsible for the atmospheric greenhouse effect in the Earth's atmosphere?

A)water vapour and carbon dioxide
B)ozone and oxygen
C)nitrogen and carbon dioxide
D)oxygen and nitrogen

Question 35

Which of the following refers to the main process that warms the lower atmosphere?

A)conduction of heat upward from the surface
B)release of latent heat during condensation
C)absorption of infrared radiation
D)direct absorption of sunlight by the atmosphere

Question 36

Which of the following statements describes the difference between red and blue light?

A)Red and blue light have different directions of polarization.
B)The wavelength of red light is longer.
C)Blue light has a higher speed of propagation.
D)Red light has a higher intensity.

Question 37

Which of the following is primarily known as a selective absorber of ultraviolet radiation?

A)water vapour
B)carbon dioxide
C)clouds
D)ozone

Question 38

Referring to the figure below, how many of the phase changes release energy to the surroundings?

A)all
B)one
C)none
D)two

Question 39

Suppose you are outside wearing a winter coat in very cold temperature, and the coat keeps you quite warm. Which of the following describes the reason that you keep warm?

A)The coat generates a temperature gradient between your body and the surrounding air.
B)The coat is the source of the heat that keeps you warm.
C)The coat absorbs heat from the sun.
D)The coat has insulating properties that keeps you warm.

Question 40

Before a cold winter night in Florida a citrus farmer chooses to sprinkle his fruit with water in order to warm the fruit so it survives the night. Which of the following processes explains why this strategy warms the fruit?

A)latent heat of evaporation
B)latent heat of condensation
C)latent heat of evaporation
D)latent heat of deposition

Question 41

A good absorber of a given wavelength of radiation is also a good emitter of that wavelength. Which of the following principles does this statement refer to?

A)first law of thermodynamics
B)Wien's law
C)Kirchhoff's law
D)Stefan-Boltzmann's law

Question 42

Which of the following properties determines the kind (wavelength) and amount of radiation that an object emits?

A)temperature
B)latent heat
C)density
D)thermal conductivity

Question 43

In which of the following regions of the spectrum does the sun emit its greatest intensity of radiation?

A)infrared region
B)visible region
C)ultraviolet region
D)X-ray region

Question 44

On a warm summer day, what is the best colour of T-shirt to wear in order to best keep you cool?

A)red
B)blue
C)black
D)white

Question 45

Which of the following statements describes the relation between low clouds at night and the atmospheric greenhouse effect?

A)They weaken the atmospheric greenhouse effect.
B)They are caused by the atmospheric greenhouse effect.
C)They enhance the atmospheric greenhouse effect.
D)They have no effect on the atmospheric greenhouse effect.

Question 46

Rain falling from clouds refers to which of the following forms of energy?

A)kinetic
B)potential
C)latent heat
D)radiant

Question 47

Which of the following methods would keep an object cool even when it is exposed to direct sunlight?

A)Wrap it in aluminum foil with the shiny side facing inward.
B)Wrap it in black paper.
C)Wrap it in aluminum foil with the shiny side facing outward.
D)Put it in a brown paper bag.

Question 48

One micrometre is equal to which of the following units of length?

A)one millionth of a metre
B)one thousandth of a metre
C)one hundredth of a metre
D)one tenth of a millimetre

Question 49

Solar radiation reaches the Earth's surface in which of the following forms of radiation?

A)ultraviolet, visible, and infrared
B)gamma rays
C)X-rays
D)microwave

Question 50

Which of the following terms refers to the energy of motion?

A)kinetic energy
B)dynamic energy
C)static energy
D)sensible heat energy

Question 51

Which of the following gives the name for electromagnetic radiation that has wavelengths between 0.4 and 0.7 micrometres?

A)visible light
B)infrared light
C)microwaves
D)ultraviolet light

Question 52

At which time does sunlight pass through a thicker portion of the atmosphere?

A)sunrise and sunset
B)sunset and night
C)noon and night
D)sunrise and noon

Question 53

Which of the following terms refers to the heat transfer process in the atmosphere that depends upon the movement of air?

A)conduction
B)absorption
C)convection
D)radiation

Question 54

If the Earth's average surface temperature were to increase, how would this affect the wavelength of peak emission?

A)It would shift toward shorter wavelengths.
B)It would shift toward longer wavelengths.
C)It would shift toward longer wavelengths at first, and then toward shorter wavelengths.
D)It would not change.

Question 55

Which of the following changes in radiative equilibrium temperature accompanies an increase in albedo?

A)no change
B)unstable oscillations
C)an increase
D)a decrease

Question 56

Before sunrise on a clear, calm, cold morning, frost can often be seen on the tops of parked cars, even when the air temperature is above freezing. Which of the following processes cools the tops of the cars and causes this condition?

A)conduction
B)convection
C)latent heat
D)radiation

Question 57

Which of the following expresses how far points A and C are apart?

A)1 wavelength apart
B)1/4 wavelength apart
C)1/3 wavelength apart
D)1/2 wavelength apart

Question 58

Which of the following would happen to the Earth's radiative equilibrium temperature if the sun suddenly began emitting more energy?

A)It would decrease.
B)It would remain the same.
C)It would increase.
D)It would begin to oscillate.

Question 59

Which of the following statements describes the radiative behaviour of clouds?

A)They absorb visible radiation.
B)They absorb infrared radiation.
C)They absorb gamma radiation.
D)They reflect ultraviolet radiation.

Question 60

Two objects, A and B, have the same mass but the specific heat of A is larger than B. Which of the following scenarios is more likely if both objects absorb equal amounts of energy?

A)A will become warmer than B.
B)A will get warmer, but B will get colder.
C)Both A and B will warm at the same rate.
D)B will become warmer than A.

Question 61

On a sunny day in winter when there is a large snowpack on the ground you notice it appears brighter outside than on a sunny day when there is no snow on the ground. What best explains this scenario?

A)Snow has a higher albedo than bare ground and reflects more solar radiation.
B)The sun emits more solar radiation in the winter months.
C)Snow emits more infrared radiation than bare ground.
D)The sun emits more ultraviolet radiation in the winter months.

Question 62

Which of the following statements describes the radiative behaviour of a red shirt?

A)It selectively absorbs infrared wavelengths and scatters the rest.
B)It selectively scatters red wavelengths of visible light and absorbs the rest.
C)It selectively absorbs red wavelengths and scatters infrared wavelengths.
D)It selectively absorbs red wavelengths of visible light and scatters the rest.

Question 63

Which of the following options gives the proper order for the types of radiation, from shortest to longest wavelength?

A)infrared, visible, ultraviolet
B)visible, infrared, ultraviolet
C)visible, ultraviolet, infrared
D)ultraviolet, visible, infrared

Question 64

Referring to the figure below, in which direction is energy being transported? ​

A)upward at first, and then downward
B)downward
C)upward
D)downward at first, and then upward

Question 65

Which of the following statements best describes why holes develop in snow around tree trunks?

A)Snow is a poor absorber of visible light.
B)Snow is a poor reflector of visible light.
C)Snow is a good absorber of infrared energy.
D)Snow is a good emitter of infrared energy.

Question 66

Which of the following gives the main reason that the sky looks blue?

A)the scattering of sunlight by air molecules
B)the emission of blue light by the atmosphere
C)the absorption of blue light by the air
D)the presence of water vapour

Question 67

Which of the following statements is true about a black object?

A)It has a high albedo and is a poor absorber of visible radiation.
B)It has a high albedo and is a good absorber of visible radiation.
C)It has a low albedo and is a poor absorber of radiation.
D)It has a low albedo and is a good absorber of radiation.

Question 68

Which of the following is the term for the heat transport that occurs when a hot air balloon is able to rise from a heat source below?

A)conduction
B)radiation
C)latent heat
D)convection

Question 69

Which of the following statements describes the roof of a home where snow melts readily?

A)It is a poor conductor of heat.
B)It is a good radiator of heat.
C)It is a poor radiator of heat.
D)It is a good conductor of heat.

Question 70

Which of the following statements explains why the albedo of the moon is 7 percent?

A)7 percent of the sunlight striking the moon is absorbed.
B)7 percent of the sunlight striking the moon is reflected.
C)Only 7 percent of the sun's energy absorbed by the moon is emitted back to space.
D)93 percent of the sunlight striking the moon is reflected.

Question 71

Which of the following has a wavelength shorter than that of violet light?

A)red light
B)green light
C)blue light
D)ultraviolet radiation

Question 72

Suppose the present concentration of CO₂ doubled in 100 years, and climate models predicted a 5^oC increase in Earth's average temperature. Which of the following gases must also increase in concentration?

A)oxygen
B)nitrogen
C)methane
D)water vapour

Question 73

Which of the following is the range of wavelengths corresponding to the maximum amount of radiation emitted by the sun?

A)0.5 micrometre
B)1 micrometre
C)10 micrometres
D)30 micrometres

Question 74

Referring to the figure below, which of the following two energy transport processes are illustrated by the warm air rising?

A)advection and latent heat energy transport
B)convection and electromagnetic radiation
C)convection and latent heat energy transport
D)advection and electromagnetic radiation

Question 75

Which of the following describes what always happens when air rises?

A)It contracts and cools.
B)It contracts and warms.
C)It expands and warms.
D)It expands and cools.

Question 76

Which of the following processes explains why our skin feels colder immediately after stepping out of a hot tub?

A)latent heat of condensation
B)latent heat of fusion
C)latent heat of evaporation
D)latent heat of sublimation

Question 77

Which of the following process is occurring when water droplets form on the outer surface of a glass of water?

A)latent heat of fusion
B)latent heat of evaporation
C)latent heat of fission
D)latent heat of condensation

Question 78

Referring to the figure above, which transfer of heat is being represented?

A)radiation
B)conduction
C)convection
D)scattering

Question 79

At which of the following wavelengths does the Earth emit radiation of greatest intensity?

A)visible wavelengths
B)ultraviolet wavelengths
C)radio wavelengths
D)infrared wavelengths

Question 80

If the Earth's average surface temperature were to increase, what would happen to the amount of radiation emitted from the Earth's surface?

A)It would decrease.
B)It would remain stable.
C)It would increase.
D)It would decrease for a time, and then increase.