Layers of the Atmosphere Packet and Composition of Air
About this set
Created by:
parent on January 11, 2011
Subjects:
Classes:
Wesleyan 9th Grade, 9th Grade Wesleyan School, Wesleyan 9th Grade, Wesleyan 7th grade 2010
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.
Order by
6 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Troposphere | Height/Altitude: 0-10 km Temperature: 19°C to -50°C It contains 99% of the water vapor and 75% of the atmospheric gases. Rain, snow, and clouds occur here. (All weather occurs here.) Jets can fly at this level. Pollen and dust are at this level. |
| Stratosphere | Height/Altitude: 10-50 km Temperature: -50°C to -5°C The Ozone layer is at this level. Each molecule of ozone is made up of 3 oxygen atoms bonded together. The ozone protects Earth from the Sun's harmful rays (UV rays, etc.). The ozone is destroyed by CFC's. (CFC's destroy the O₃molecule.) Jet streams and weather balloons are here. Jet streams affect weather. (starts in upper west, dips down, Eastern states) (Jet streams are like the current in Finding Nemo.) |
| Mesosphere | Height/Altitude: 50-85 km Temperature: -5°C to -90°C It's in the middle. (meso = middle) Meteors burn up here. If you've seen a shooting star, it was probably in the mesophere. ionosphere-charged particles that reflect AM radio at night ion-charged particle (- or +) |
| Thermosphere | Height/Altitude: 85 - 500 km Temperature: -90°C to greater than 800°C Space shuttles can fly at this level. You can find meteor trails here. It's named for it's high temperatures. (It's the hottest layer.) It's the thickest atmospheric layer. (It's the largest layer.) It has a great increase in temperature and thin gases. The Northern Lights (aurora borealis) is located here, too. |
| Exosphere | Height/Altitude: over 500 km Temperature: greater than 800°C It has so few molecules that the wings of a space craft are useless, so it relies on small bursts from rocket thrusters to move around. You could find satellites here. (International Space Station-ISS, Hubble Telescope) Above it is outer space. |
| composition of air (TB p. 9 - Figure 2) | 78% - N₂(Nitrogen) 21% - O₂(Oxygen) Trace gases: 1% Argon, CO₂(Carbon Dioxide), Ne (Neon), He (Helium), CH₄(Methane), Xenon, Krypton, O₃(Ozone), and water vapor is 1-4% of the 1% |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.