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Questions and Answers
The sky appears ______ during the day due to scattering.
blue
The atmosphere is divided into five layers, with the ______ being the lowest layer.
Troposphere
The ______ is the scattering of light by small particles in the atmosphere.
Rayleigh scattering
During sunrise and sunset, the sky appears ______ due to the scattering of longer wavelengths of light.
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Clouds are formed when water vapor condenses into visible ______ droplets.
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The spectacular display of colored light in the polar regions is known as the ______.
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Study Notes
Composition
- The sky is composed of:
- Nitrogen (78%)
- Oxygen (21%)
- Argon (0.9%)
- Carbon dioxide (0.03%)
- Water vapor (varies)
- Other gases (trace amounts)
Layers
- The atmosphere is divided into five layers:
- Troposphere: lowest layer, extends up to 12 km (7.5 mi)
- Stratosphere: extends up to 50 km (31 mi)
- Mesosphere: extends up to 80 km (50 mi)
- Thermosphere: extends up to 600 km (373 mi)
- Exosphere: outermost layer, extends into space
Colors
- The sky appears blue during the day due to:
- Scattering: shorter wavelengths of light (blue, violet) scatter more than longer wavelengths (red, orange)
- Rayleigh scattering: scattering of light by small particles in the atmosphere
- During sunrise and sunset, the sky appears:
- Red: longer wavelengths of light dominate due to scattering
- Orange: mixture of red and yellow wavelengths
Phenomena
- Clouds: formed when water vapor condenses into visible liquid droplets
- Sunlight: direct sunlight, diffuse sunlight: indirect sunlight scattered by the atmosphere
- Aurora: spectacular display of colored light in the polar regions, caused by charged particles from the sun
- Meteor showers: trails of light produced by small particles entering the atmosphere at high speed
Atmosphere Composition
- Nitrogen makes up 78% of the atmosphere
- Oxygen accounts for 21% of the atmosphere
- Argon and carbon dioxide are present in smaller amounts, 0.9% and 0.03% respectively
- Water vapor and other gases are also present in varying amounts
Atmospheric Layers
- The atmosphere is divided into five distinct layers
- Troposphere: the lowest layer, extending up to 12 km (7.5 mi) above the Earth's surface
- Stratosphere: the second layer, extending up to 50 km (31 mi) above the Earth's surface
- Mesosphere: the third layer, extending up to 80 km (50 mi) above the Earth's surface
- Thermosphere: the fourth layer, extending up to 600 km (373 mi) above the Earth's surface
- Exosphere: the outermost layer, extending into space
Sky Colors
- The sky appears blue during the day due to scattering of shorter wavelengths of light
- Rayleigh scattering is the scattering of light by small particles in the atmosphere
- During sunrise and sunset, the sky appears red due to the dominance of longer wavelengths of light
- The mixture of red and yellow wavelengths produces an orange hue during sunrise and sunset
Atmospheric Phenomena
- Clouds are formed when water vapor condenses into visible liquid droplets
- Sunlight can be direct or indirect, with indirect sunlight being scattered by the atmosphere
- Aurorae are spectacular displays of colored light in the polar regions, caused by charged particles from the sun
- Meteor showers are trails of light produced by small particles entering the atmosphere at high speed
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Description
Understand the composition of the sky and the five layers of the atmosphere, including their characteristics and extensions.
