Name: ____________________________________
Class: _____________
Date: _____________
Self Assessment: Transfer of Energy In and Out of the Atmosphere
1. About what percent of solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere?
a) 25%
b) 65%
c) 45%
d) 30%
2. When a mass of cold air is moving into a region occupied by warm air, the boundary is called a _____.
a) cold front
b) stationary front
c) occluded front
d) warm front
3. The angle of incidence of the Sun's rays with Earth's surface varies with latitude and with the seasons.
What change that occurs over the seasons results in a change in this angle?
a) the direction of Earth's rotation
b) Earth's distance from the Sun
c) the average amount of energy the Sun emits
d) Earth's tilt with respect to its orbit around the Sun
4. Why does Earth emit radiation of longer wavelength than the incoming solar radiation?
a) Earth's atmosphere can only absorb radiation of longer wavelength.
b) Earth's surface is mostly covered by water.
c) Earth has a much lower surface temperature than the Sun does.
d) Earth is very far away from the Sun.
5. When viewed through a telescope, the surface of the Sun seems to be boiling. This is the result of the
convection of gases as they are heated and cooled. Which phenomenon on Earth is a result of convection
driven by the Sun's heating of Earth's surface?
a) the redistribution of heat from the surface upward
b) the transfer of heat from the ground to the air at ground level
c) the movement of solar energy to the ground
d) horizontal movements in the atmosphere such as wind
PAGE 1
Name: ____________________________________
Class: _____________
Date: _____________
Self Assessment: Transfer of Energy In and Out of the Atmosphere
6. What part of Earth absorbs the most solar radiation?
a) the clouds
b) the land
c) the atmosphere
d) the ocean
7. Which is an example of early human technology utilizing solar energy?
a) furnace
b) well
c) irrigation system
d) water wheel
8. What accounts for the relatively high temperatures in the upper stratosphere?
a) the absorption of ultraviolet radiation
b) the speed at which the light passing through travels
c) the large amounts of infrared radiation in sunlight
d) the absence of wind and water vapor
9. The stratosphere extends beyond the troposphere to about 30 miles above Earth. Beyond the stratosphere,
reaching to about 50 miles above Earth, is the _____.
a) mesosphere
b) thermosphere
c) ionosphere
d) exosphere
PAGE 2
Name: ____________________________________
Class: _____________
Date: _____________
Self Assessment: Transfer of Energy In and Out of the Atmosphere
10. The angle at which the Sun's rays strike the Earth's surface affect temperature where they strike for two
reasons. One is that when the rays strike at an angle, the surface over which a given amount of sunlight
falls is greater than when rays strike directly. What is the other reason?
a) More energy from sunlight reaches Earth's surface when the rays strike at an angle than when they
strike directly because the rays move more quickly through Earth's atmosphere at an angle, and they
have less time to be reflected or absorbed.
b) Less energy from sunlight reaches Earth's surface when the rays strike at an angle than when they
strike directly because the sunlight has to travel through a greater thickness of atmosphere, and some
light is deflected or absorbed as it passes through.
c) More sunlight reaches Earth's surface when it strikes at an angle than when it strikes directly because
less sunlight is deflected or absorbed by objects and the atmosphere.
d) Less sunlight reaches Earth's surface when it strikes at an angle than when it strikes directly because
the sunlight has to travel farther to reach the surface, and some light is lost.
PAGE 3
ANSWER KEY
1. a
2. a
3. d
4. c
5. a
6. d
ANSWER KEY Page 1
7. d
8. a
9. a
10. b