Name ___________________________
Chapter 24
Class ___________________
Date _____________
Weather and Climate
Section 24.1 The Atmosphere
(pages 746–751)
This section describes Earth’s atmosphere, its composition, and its different
layers. It also explains air pressure and the effects of altitude on air pressure.
Reading Strategy (page 746)
Relating Text and Diagrams As you read, refer to Figure 5 and the
text to complete the table on the layers of the atmosphere. For more
information on this Reading Strategy, see the Reading and Study Skills
in the Skills and Reference Handbook at the end of your textbook.
Layers of the Atmosphere
Layer
Altitude Range
Temperature Change
Troposphere
0–12 km
Temperature decreases as altitude increases.
Stratosphere
12–50 km
Temperature remains nearly constant to
20 km and then increases with altitude.
Mesosphere
50–80 km
Temperature decreases as altitude increases.
Thermosphere
above 80 km
Temperature increases rapidly with altitude.
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Earth’s Protective Layer
(page 747)
1. Is the following sentence true or false? The layer of gases that
true
surrounds Earth is called the atmosphere.
2. How does the atmosphere make Earth’s temperatures suitable
for life? The atmosphere forms a protective layer between Earth and space.
3. Name two gases in the atmosphere that are essential for life.
Carbon dioxide
Oxygen
a.
b.
Composition of the Atmosphere
(page 747)
4. Is the following sentence true or false? The composition of the
atmosphere changes every few kilometers as you move away
false
from Earth.
5. Earth’s atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, and many other gases
.
6. What two gases together make up about 99% of Earth’s
Nitrogen
Oxygen
atmosphere? a.
b.
7. Is the following sentence true or false? Both water droplets and
true
solid particles are suspended in the atmosphere.
Air Pressure (page 748)
8. What is air pressure?
Air pressure is the force exerted by the weight of a column of air
above a surface.
9. As altitude increases, air pressure and density
decrease
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Chapter 24 305
Name ___________________________
Chapter 24
Class ___________________
Date _____________
Weather and Climate
10. Circle the letter of the instrument used to measure air pressure.
a. a thermometer
b. a barometer
c. a psychrometer
d. Doppler radar
Layers of the Atmosphere
(pages 749–751)
11. Scientists divide the atmosphere into layers based on variations in
temperature
.
12. List the four layers of the atmosphere.
Troposphere
Stratosphere
a.
b.
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
c.
d.
13. Is the following sentence true or false? Weather is the average
condition of the atmosphere in a particular place over a period of
false
many years.
14. What is the ozone layer? The ozone layer is a region of high ozone concentration
in the stratosphere.
An oxygen atom (O) collides with a molecule of oxygen (O2).
15. How is ozone formed?
16. Is the following sentence true or false? Infrared radiation in
sunlight is absorbed by ozone before it reaches Earth.
false
Match the layer of the atmosphere with a characteristic that would best
describe it.
Layer of the Atmosphere
Characteristic
d
a
c
b
19.
20.
21.
22.
troposphere
stratosphere
mesosphere
thermosphere
23. What is the ionosphere?
a. Contains the ozone layer
b. The outermost layer of the atmosphere
c. The layer where most meteoroids burn up
d. The layer where most weather occurs
The ionosphere is a region of charged particles, called ions, that
overlaps the lower thermosphere.
24. When charged particles from the sun are attracted to Earth’s
aurora
magnetic poles, a(n)
may appear.
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Chapter 24
© Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.
mesosphere
17. The layer above the stratosphere is the
.
18. Is the following sentence true or false? The temperature of the
true
outer thermosphere is quite high.