Bill Nye – Atmosphere Video

Vocab:

Atmosphere - standard atmosphere: a unit of pressure: the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 mm high at sea level and 0 degrees centigrade

- the mass of air surrounding the Earth

Stratosphere - The region of the Earth’s atmosphere that lies above the troposphere and contains the ozone layer. It is dry and less dense than the troposphere

Mesosphere – The middle region of the Earth’s atmosphere where the temperature is lower than in its surrounding regions. The gas particles absorb energy from the sun an are in an excited state.

Troposphere – The region of the Earth’s atmosphere that is immediately above the Earth’s surface and produces weather.

Thermosphere–region of the Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs gamma rays & heat from the sun

Exosphere - The region of the Earth’s atmosphere above the mesosphere that is filled with ionized gases and reflects shortwave radio transmissions.

Lapse Rate – The rate at which the atmosphere gets colder as the air gets thinner at higher altitudes. It is equal to 5.5 0C/km.

Green House Affect - The warming of the Earth by solar heat that is trapped by the insulating effect of atmospheric gases.

7+ Notes

If there was no air/atmosphere above us, what would happen? Answer = the temperature would decrease (gets colder). Demonstration: using 2 glass jars with thermometers in them. The jar from which the air was removed resulted with a lower temperature. (72 ⁰C dropped to 68 ⁰C )

Earths gravity held most of its gases, the moon did not. So we have weather, the moon does not.

The lower the pressure, the higher in altitude you are. The altimeter is set on the ground, as the plane ascends, the pressure decreases, the higher the altitude you are.

Death Valley – lowest point in North America. Pressure increased, higher temperature.

On a mountain, it is the opposite, less air, therefore less pressure.

Atmospheric pressure is equal to 3 kg on every centimeter of us, at sea level.

150 kg of weight – atmosphere pushed own on us

Pressure is lower in an airplane, so you may feel/hear you ears pop.

Water boils a6 a lower temperature the higher altitude you go. Ex – in Denver.

Sulfuric acid + sugar - à acid soaks in, turns dark, then reacts by expanding as a gas/carbon mixture. Note – plants and people have sugar in them. So acid rain is NOT a good for us !

Atmosphere is thin, but heavy