Chapter 15 STUDY GUIDE

ANSWERS

In which main layer of Earth’s atmosphere does most weather occur?

Troposphere

Which type of precipitation may contain acidic pollutants?

Rain, Sleet, & Snow ***(all of the above)***

What is the main source of pollutants in photochemical smog?

Exhaust from vehicles

A(n) ______ can trap smog close to the surface. it happens when a layer of cool, dense air stays near the ground and under a layer of warm air.

Temp. *(temperature)* Inversion

Substances, such as smoke and carbon monoxide, released into the air are called what?

Emissions

How does carbon monoxide affect human health?

Binds to hemoglobin and deprives cells of O2

The air you breathe in from the atmosphere is made mostly of what?

Nitrogen

The boundary between air masses that differs in temperature and moisture is called a(n)

Front

Ultraviolet radiation is particularly dangerous because

it can damage genetic material in cells

Ozone depletion was caused by the following chemicals, which were used in refrigerators and aerosol spray cans.

CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons)

Which of the following is a provision of the Clean Air Act?

It sets aside funds for research into pollution control

Radiation, conduction, and convection are the three main methods of what?

Heat Transfer

What is the source of most air pollution?

Combustion of fossil fuels

A device in a motor vehicle that reduces the amount of air pollutants in emissions is a(n)

Catalytic convertor

The lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, the one directly above the ground, is called the what?

Troposphere

What is the source of the energy that drives air movement in the troposphere and influences weather and climate?

Sun

Climate in a region is

The long-term, prevailing atmospheric conditions

A ration that compares the amount of water vapor the air contains to the maximum amount that the air could hold at the temperature is what?

Relative humidity

The ozone hole was located primarily above what?

Antarctica

Normal precipitation has a pH of about 5.6. What pH might acid precipitation have?

4\.6

What percentage of the atmosphere is composed of oxygen?

21%

Pollutants are removed or changed chemically before they leave factory smokestacks by a(n)

Scrubber

Carbon-containing fuels, or fossil fuels, formed millions of years ago from the remains of what?

dead organisms

FOUR MAIN LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE (LOWEST TO HIGHEST ALTITUDE)

1) Troposphere

2) Stratosphere *(includes ozone layer)*

3) Mesosphere

4) Thermosphere