Deck 3: Introduction to the Atmosphere

Question 1

________ is (are) responsible for placing oxygen in the atmosphere.

A) Automobile exhaust
B) Burning
C) Chlorofluorocarbons
D) Lightning strikes
E) Green plants

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is ________.

A) a small fraction of 1%
B) approximately 10%
C) approximately 30%
D) approximately 50%
E) approximately 75%

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Oxygen (O₂)is being added to the atmosphere by ________.

A) solar radiation
B) animal decomposition
C) meteorites
D) vegetation
E) the burning of coal

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Nitrogen is the ________ component of the atmosphere in terms of volume.

A) main
B) second
C) third
D) fourth
E) fifth

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the atmosphere?

A) It contains water vapor.
B) It is poorly mixed in the heterosphere.
C) It resists being compressed.
D) It is very well mixed near the Earth's surface.
E) It has clouds which float in it.

Question 6

The third most plentiful gas in the Earth's lower atmosphere is ________.

A) nitrogen
B) oxygen
C) argon
D) neon
E) helium

Question 7

Over warm oceans, water vapor comprises about ________ percent of the volume of the atmosphere.

A) 1
B) 4
C) 10
D) 25
E) 50

Question 8

Water vapor is nearly absent ________.

A) in the upper reaches of the atmosphere
B) in the lower reaches of the atmosphere
C) in the troposphere
D) in the atmosphere over sea surfaces
E) in the atmosphere over land surfaces

Question 9

By volume, which of the following comprises most of Earth's atmosphere?

A) carbon monoxide
B) chlorofluorocarbons
C) ozone
D) carbon dioxide
E) argon

Question 10

The normal percent of water vapor in dry air is ________ percent.

A) 0-4
B) 5-10
C) 15-20
D) 25-30
E) 45-50

Question 11

About 10,000 kilometers above the surface is the upper limit of the ________.

A) atmosphere
B) homosphere
C) troposphere
D) thermosphere
E) ionosphere

Question 12

The influence on climate of carbon dioxide is mainly due to its ability to absorb ________.

A) water
B) infrared radiation
C) helium
D) argon
E) ions

Question 13

The approximate boundary of the atmosphere extends outward at least ________ kilometers above the surface.

A) 1,000
B) 2,500
C) 5,000
D) 6,000
E) 10,000

Question 14

Argon is the ________ most plentiful gas in the atmosphere.

A) single
B) second
C) third
D) fourth
E) fifth

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT gaseous in the atmosphere?

A) argon
B) clouds
C) neon
D) helium
E) water vapor

Question 16

Which of the following is an important function of Earth's atmosphere?

A) insulates the surface against temperature extremes
B) maintains a water supply
C) supplies the oxygen for life
D) screens out much of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation
E) all of the above

Question 17

With the exception of water vapor, ________ is the most plentiful of the variable gases in the atmosphere.

A) argon
B) carbon dioxide
C) sulfur dioxide
D) ozone
E) carbon monoxide

Question 18

The main component of the lower atmosphere by total volume is ________.

A) oxygen
B) nitrogen
C) helium
D) argon
E) water vapor

Question 19

Ozone is actually ________.

A) a form of carbon dioxide
B) three-atomed oxygen
C) more healthy to breathe than is oxygen
D) a pollutant caused by the burning of fossil fuels
E) a naturally occurring substance

Question 20

Above ________ kilometer(s), the atmospheric pressure is so slight as not to register on an ordinary barometer.

A) 0.8
B) 8
C) 80
D) 800
E) 8,000

Question 21

A major characteristic of the troposphere is the ________.

A) decrease of temperature with increasing altitude
B) presence of the ozone layer
C) total absence of water vapor
D) increase of pressure with altitude
E) hottest temperatures in the atmosphere

Question 22

The homosphere includes the lowest ________ kilometers of the atmosphere.

A) 2
B) 10
C) 20
D) 80
E) 250

Question 23

The part of the atmosphere that contains "weather" and supports life ________.

A) extends about as high above the Earth as the distance from Earth's surface to its center (radius)
B) is very shallow
C) is the hottest part of the atmosphere
D) consists largely of oxygen
E) consists of a chemical called "air"

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT an important source of particulates in the atmosphere?

A) salt from the sea
B) volcanic eruptions
C) emissions from engines
D) soot from fires
E) photosynthesis from trees

Question 25

________ particulates in the atmosphere absorb water and are the basis for cloud formation.

A) Gaseous
B) Hygroscopic
C) Poisonous
D) Blue
E) Carbon

Question 26

The source of warming in the upper stratosphere is ________.

A) energy emitted from the breakdown of ozone
B) thermal infrared energy absorbed from the Sun
C) heat released from water vapor
D) increasing amounts of carbon dioxide
E) not yet understood by science

Question 27

The smallest atmospheric particles can remain suspended in the atmosphere for a period of ________.

A) seconds
B) minutes
C) hours
D) days
E) years

Question 28

The ________ is the layer of the atmosphere where electrified atoms are plentiful.

A) thermosphere
B) ionosphere
C) troposphere
D) exosphere
E) stratosphere

Question 29

The ozone layer is in that portion of the atmosphere known as the ________.

A) troposphere
B) mesosphere
C) stratosphere
D) heterosphere
E) ionosphere

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT associated with particulates?

A) sunlight absorption
B) sunlight reflection
C) cause clouds to form
D) depletion of the ozone layer
E) may remain suspended for months or years

Question 31

The segment of the atmosphere which blends into interplanetary space is called the ________.

A) troposphere
B) exosphere
C) stratosphere
D) mesosphere
E) thermosphere

Question 32

The atmospheric layer in which gases do not maintain a uniform composition is the ________.

A) ionosphere
B) homosphere
C) troposphere
D) heterosphere
E) stratosphere

Question 33

Some particulates absorb the water vapor around them. They are said to be ________.

A) hygroscopic
B) hydrophobic
C) heavy
D) gases
E) precipitation

Question 34

Clouds owe their existence to the presence of atmospheric ________.

A) particles
B) oxygen
C) argon
D) sunlight
E) carbon dioxide

Question 35

The segment of the atmosphere in which gases maintain an approximately uniform composition is the ________.

A) homosphere
B) exosphere
C) ionosphere
D) stratosphere
E) troposphere

Question 36

The warm zone near the top of the stratosphere is the result of heating from ________.

A) atmospheric pollution
B) the rise of air
C) the output of volcanoes
D) thermal infrared emissions from clouds
E) the natural breakdown of ozone

Question 37

If one were 30 kilometers above sea level, one would be in the part of the atmosphere known as the ________.

A) stratosphere
B) troposphere
C) exosphere
D) heterosphere
E) mesosphere

Question 38

A variable gas in the atmosphere nearly absent from the higher elevations is ________.

A) carbon dioxide
B) ozone
C) sulfur dioxide
D) carbon monoxide
E) water vapor

Question 39

On the average, the tropopause is highest above the surface over the ________.

A) North Pole
B) Arctic Circle
C) South Pole
D) Equator
E) Antarctic Circle

Question 40

The exosphere marks the outward limit of the ________.

A) troposphere
B) stratosphere
C) atmosphere
D) thermosphere
E) geosphere

Question 41

Given the relationship between altitude and atmospheric pressure, the pressure at 20 kilometers above the surface is ________.

A) almost the same as it is at the surface
B) too high for humans
C) tiny, compared to sea level
D) about three-quarters that of sea level
E) barely high enough for humans to breathe

Question 42

Which of the following statements about the atmosphere is TRUE?

A) Pressure increases with elevation.
B) Most of its mass is relatively close to the ground.
C) It has a sharply defined top called the atmopause.
D) Temperature decreases uniformly with height.
E) It is well-mixed from bottom to top

Question 43

Together, oxygen and nitrogen comprise what percentage of the atmosphere?

A) less than 1%
B) less than 10%
C) about 25%
D) about 75%
E) more than 95%

Question 44

The coldest temperature in the atmosphere can be found at the ________.

A) tropopause
B) exopause
C) stratopause
D) thermopause
E) mesopause

Question 45

Oxygen is the ________ component of the atmosphere in terms of volume.

A) main
B) second
C) third
D) fourth
E) fifth

Question 46

Which atmospheric layer is directly above the troposphere?

A) exosphere
B) mesosphere
C) heterosphere
D) stratosphere
E) thermosphere

Question 47

The source of heating in the thermosphere is the absorption of ________.

A) infrared rays from the Sun
B) infrared rays from the Earth
C) visible energy from the Sun
D) ultraviolet rays from the Sun
E) light rays reflected from the Earth

Question 48

Air is best described as a(n) ________.

A) chemical compound
B) element
C) mixture
D) colloid
E) particulate

Question 49

Vertical mixing and turbulence are most characteristic of the ________.

A) troposphere
B) exosphere
C) thermosphere
D) mesosphere
E) stratosphere

Question 50

Which of the following exists highest in the atmosphere?

A) troposphere
B) mesopause
C) tropopause
D) stratosphere
E) stratopause

Question 51

At an elevation of 16 kilometers (in the lower stratosphere), atmospheric pressure is approximately one-________ of what it is at the surface.

A) tenth
B) thousandth
C) quarter
D) half
E) hundredth

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT a natural characteristic of the troposphere?

A) most of the atmospheric water vapor
B) the lowest layer of the atmosphere
C) the highest pressures in the atmosphere
D) the hottest temperatures in the atmosphere
E) the layer associated with "weather"

Question 53

Which of the following can be found lowest in the atmosphere?

A) exosphere
B) ionosphere
C) thermosphere
D) ozone layer
E) tropopause

Question 54

The order of the atmospheric layers from the surface up into the atmosphere is ________.

A) thermosphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, troposphere
B) stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, troposphere
C) troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
D) troposphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere
E) exosphere, stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere

Question 55

Which of the following is NOT an atmospheric gas?

A) oxygen
B) nitrogen
C) carbon dioxide
D) water vapor
E) clouds

Question 56

The stratosphere derives its name from which property?

A) It is the hottest layer of the atmosphere.
B) It is the coldest layer of the atmosphere.
C) It is the layer closest to the ground.
D) It is the layer with the most clouds.
E) It is a layer with little vertical mixing.

Question 57

In the atmosphere, the temperature decreases with increasing altitude in the ________ and the ________.

A) thermosphere, mesosphere
B) mesosphere, stratosphere
C) stratosphere, troposphere
D) troposphere, mesosphere
E) stratosphere, thermosphere

Question 58

The lower 80 kilometers or so in the atmosphere in which gases are found in uniform proportions is the ________.

A) heterosphere
B) homosphere
C) ionosphere
D) exosphere
E) stratosphere

Question 59

One half of the atmosphere lies below the elevation of ________.

A) 1 kilometer
B) 6 kilometers
C) 15 kilometers
D) 57 kilometers
E) 153 kilometers

Question 60

Air pressure ________.

A) remains unchanged with increasing altitude
B) increases at an increasing rate with altitude
C) increases at a steady rate with altitude
D) decreases at a steady rate with increase of altitude
E) decreases at a decreasing rate with increase of altitude

Question 61

Which is NOT a danger of increased ultraviolet exposure at the Earth's surface?

A) the killing of microorganisms on the ocean surface
B) the suppression of the human immune system
C) the increase of skin cancer in humans
D) the diminishing of yields in many crops
E) the significant warming of Earth's surface

Question 62

Which of the following best describes the atmosphere at any single location on a day-to-day basis?

A) The major components vary widely.
B) Water vapor is constant.
C) Particulates are constant.
D) Oxygen is variable.
E) Argon is constant.

Question 63

Which of the following makes up more than 10% of the mass of the atmosphere?

A) water vapor
B) hydrogen
C) argon
D) helium
E) nitrogen

Question 64

________ is (are) crucial to the formation of clouds in the atmosphere.

A) Ozone
B) Argon
C) Neon
D) Particulates
E) Lightning

Question 65

The most important feature of ozone in the ozone layer is ________.

A) it is the source of atmospheric oxygen
B) it purifies the air's contents of pollutants
C) its role in cloud formation
D) it absorbs ultraviolet energy
E) it reflects sunlight

Question 66

Chlorine in the stratosphere will turn ozone into ________.

A) smog
B) oxygen (O₂)
C) chlorofluorocarbons
D) air
E) nitrogen

Question 67

A main absorber of ultraviolet radiation in the atmosphere is ________.

A) argon
B) neon
C) ozone
D) carbon dioxide
E) dust

Question 68

Which of the following is TRUE of CFCs?

A) They are now banned by international treaty.
B) They have disappeared in the atmosphere.
C) They are very toxic to humans.
D) They are not able to exist for long in the atmosphere.
E) They are now the most dominant gases in the stratosphere.

Question 69

Which of the following would be MOST variable at your location on a day-to-day basis?

A) oxygen
B) nitrogen
C) carbon dioxide
D) water vapor
E) ozone

Question 70

It is thought that the Earth's climate is being changed rapidly by ________.

A) human-caused releases of impurities
B) increased oxygen content
C) natural sources of change
D) dust from volcanoes
E) decreases in carbon dioxide

Question 71

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of air?

A) It is a chemical compound.
B) It is odorless.
C) It is tasteless.
D) It is colorless.
E) It is mostly packed close to the Earth's surface.

Question 72

Polar stratospheric clouds are most closely associated with ________.

A) rainfall
B) carbon dioxide
C) large storms
D) dust
E) the destruction of ozone

Question 73

The "hole" in the Antarctic ozone ________.

A) has now disappeared
B) should disappear very soon
C) was never proven to have existed
D) persists longer and longer each year
E) is invisible to satellite observations

Question 74

Which of the following is a major source of nitrogen in the atmosphere?

A) meteorite collisions
B) photosynthesis
C) the breakdown of ozone
D) decay of plants
E) chlorofluorocarbons

Question 75

Ozone is destroyed by CFCs because the ________ in the CFCs combines with oxygen.

A) carbon dioxide
B) dust
C) fluorine
D) liquids
E) chlorine

Question 76

A "hole" in the ozone layer was first discovered over ________.

A) Antarctica
B) the Equator
C) the United States
D) Africa
E) Hollywood

Question 77

The main impact of ozone on life on the Earth's surface is to ________.

A) provide oxygen for the atmosphere
B) reduce ultraviolet solar radiation
C) serve as nucleus for cloud formation
D) act as a lid preventing gases from escape
E) to initiate violent storms

Question 78

In terms of atmospheric change, which of the following is TRUE?

A) Change has never occurred.
B) Humans are adding impurities to the atmosphere at a rate previously unknown.
C) The ozone hole problem is now solved.
D) The present era is the first time there has ever been climate change.
E) International treaties have been able to halt climate change.

Question 79

The Montreal Protocol of 1987 was an international treaty to halt the production of ________.

A) nuclear weapons
B) carbon dioxide
C) water vapor
D) automobiles
E) chlorofluorocarbons

Question 80

Which of the following substances is closely associated with the breakdown of the ozone layer?

A) carbon dioxide
B) chlorofluorocarbons
C) nitrogen oxides
D) water vapor
E) infrared radiation