Questions and Answers
What are electromagnetic waves?
What is radiation?
What kind of energy do we receive from the sun?
Most of the energy from the sun travels to Earth in the form of visible light and infrared radiation. A small amount arrives as ultraviolet radiation.
What causes the different colors of visible light?
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What is infrared radiation?
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What is ultraviolet radiation?
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What can ultraviolet radiation cause?
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What does energy from the sun travel to Earth as?
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What happens to the energy from the sun that is neither reflected nor absorbed by the atmosphere?
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What absorbs energy from the sun in the atmosphere?
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What reflects energy from the sun in the atmosphere?
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What is scattering?
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Why does the daytime sky look blue?
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What is half of the sun's energy absorbed by?
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What is the greenhouse effect?
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What absorbs most of the energy that is radiated from Earth's surface?
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What is temperature?
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What is thermal energy?
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What is air temperature measured with?
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How does a thermometer work?
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What is the Celsius freezing point?
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What is the Celsius boiling point?
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What is the Fahrenheit freezing point?
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What is the Fahrenheit boiling point?
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How is heat transferred?
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What is heat?
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What is conduction?
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What is convection?
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Study Notes
Electromagnetic Waves
- Energy form capable of traveling through a vacuum, such as space.
Radiation
- Direct energy transfer through electromagnetic waves.
Solar Energy
- Sun emits energy primarily as visible light and infrared radiation, with a smaller amount as ultraviolet radiation.
Visible Light
- Composed of a spectrum of colors, commonly perceived as a rainbow.
Color Variations in Light
- Different colors in visible light arise from variations in wavelengths.
Infrared Radiation
- Has longer wavelengths than red light; not visible but can be experienced as heat.
Ultraviolet Radiation
- Contains shorter wavelengths than violet light, potentially harmful to living organisms.
Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation
- Can cause skin issues like sunburn, skin cancer, and eye damage.
Energy Pathways
- Solar energy travels to Earth as infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, and visible light.
Energy Interaction with Atmosphere
- Energy that isn’t reflected or absorbed by the atmosphere can pass through to Earth’s surface.
Atmospheric Energy Absorption
- The atmosphere absorbs solar energy.
Energy Reflection
- Clouds are responsible for reflecting solar energy.
Scattering
- Light can be reflected in various directions, creating the phenomenon of scattering.
Sky Coloration
- The blue sky results from gas molecules scattering shorter wavelengths (blue and violet) more than longer wavelengths (red and orange).
Energy Absorption of Earth's Surface
- Half of the sun's energy is absorbed by land and water, converted into heat.
Greenhouse Effect
- Natural process where certain gases retain heat in the atmosphere, regulating Earth's temperature for sustainability.
Energy Absorption by Gases
- Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases capture most of the energy radiated from Earth's surface.
Temperature
- Defined as the average kinetic energy of motion of particles within a substance.
Thermal Energy
- Represents the total kinetic energy of all particles in a material.
Measuring Air Temperature
- Conducted using a thermometer.
Thermometer Functionality
- A glass tube with a liquid that expands when heated and contracts when cooled.
Celsius Scale
- Freezing point: 0 degrees
- Boiling point: 100 degrees
Fahrenheit Scale
- Freezing point: 32 degrees
- Boiling point: 212 degrees
Heat Transfer Methods
- Heat transfer occurs via radiation, conduction, and convection.
Definition of Heat
- Thermal energy moves from hotter to cooler objects during heat transfer.
Conduction
- Involves direct heat transfer between substances in contact.
Convection
- Heat is transferred through the movement of fluids, facilitating energy distribution.
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Description
Explore key concepts related to energy in Earth's atmosphere with these flashcards. This quiz covers electromagnetic waves, radiation, and the energy we receive from the sun. Perfect for environmental science students looking to reinforce their understanding of atmospheric energy dynamics.