1. Quiz Review Questions: Atmospheric Basics & Density
Integrated Science
Unit 3: Energy & the Atmosphere

2. Question #1
Describe what happens to the temperature of the atmosphere as you go higher and higher, crossing from one atmospheric layer into the next.

3. Question #1
Describe what happens to the temperature of the atmosphere as you go higher and higher, crossing from one atmospheric layer into the next.
Answer
The temperature decreases as you first go up into the atmosphere, but when you cross into the next layer this trend in temperature reverses and the temperature increases. Upon entering another new layer, the trend reverses again and temperature starts to decrease. Each time you cross into a new layer, the trend in how temperature is changing reverses itself.

4. Question #2
What are the most abundant gases in the atmosphere, and how much of the atmosphere do they represent?

5. Question #2
What are the most abundant gases in the atmosphere, and how much of the atmosphere do they represent?
Answer
Nitrogen is 78% of the atmosphere, and oxygen is 21% of the atmosphere. The other 1% of the atmosphere is a mixture of much less abundant gases.

6. Question #3
When explaining the reason for seasons on Earth, how important is it that the Earth is sometimes closer to the Sun that at other times?
This is a very important idea when explaining seasons.
This is a somewhat important idea when explaining seasons.
This is not a very important idea when explaining seasons.
This idea is not important at all when explaining seasons.

7. Question #3
When explaining the reason for seasons on Earth, how important is it that the Earth is sometimes closer to the Sun that at other times?
This is a very important idea when explaining seasons.
This is a somewhat important idea when explaining seasons.
This is not a very important idea when explaining seasons.
This idea is not important at all when explaining seasons.
Answer
d. The reason for seasons on Earth is the tilt of Earth’s axis, not the distance from Earth to the Sun. In fact, Earth is at its farthest point from the Sun during summer in the northern hemisphere.

8. Question #4
What season is occurring in the northern hemisphere when the Earth is at position B in the diagram?

9. Question #4
What season is occurring in the northern hemisphere when the Earth is at position B in the diagram?
Answer
Spring. Position A would be winter in the northern hemisphere (since the north pole is tilted away from the Sun), and position B happens directly following winter.

10. Why does the tilt of Earth’s axis lead to seasons on Earth?
Question #5
Why does the tilt of Earth’s axis lead to seasons on Earth?

11. Why does the tilt of Earth’s axis lead to seasons on Earth?
Question #5
Why does the tilt of Earth’s axis lead to seasons on Earth?
Answer
Since Earth is tilted on its axis, different parts of Earth receive different amounts of direct sunlight during different times of Earth’s yearly motion around the Sun. For instance, when it is summer in the northern hemisphere, direct sunlight is striking the northern hemisphere during the days. At this same time of year, the sunlight striking the southern hemisphere is very spread out (indirect), so it is winter in the southern hemisphere.

12. What is the earliest known human use for wind power?
Question #6
What is the earliest known human use for wind power?

13. What is the earliest known human use for wind power?
Question #6
What is the earliest known human use for wind power?
Answer
Humans began using wind power thousands of years ago to power sailboats.

14. What is the earliest known use of windmills?
Question #7
What is the earliest known use of windmills?

15. What is the earliest known use of windmills?
Question #7
What is the earliest known use of windmills?
Answer
For grinding grain.

16. Question #8
Wind turbines are able to convert the ____________ energy of the wind into ______________ energy.

17. Question #8
Wind turbines are able to convert the ____________ energy of the wind into ______________ energy.
Answer
kinetic, electric

18. What are the definitions of mass, volume, and density?
Question #9
What are the definitions of mass, volume, and density?

19. What are the definitions of mass, volume, and density?
Question #9
What are the definitions of mass, volume, and density?
Answer
mass - the amount of matter in an object
volume - the amount of space an object takes up
density - a measurement about a substance that tells how tightly packed the matter is in that substance
(or a ratio comparing the mass of an object to its volume)

20. What units would be used to measure mass? Volume? Density?
Question #10
What units would be used to measure mass? Volume? Density?

21. What units would be used to measure mass? Volume? Density?
Question #10
What units would be used to measure mass? Volume? Density?
Answer
Mass can be measured in grams (g) or kilograms (kg).
Volume can be measured in cm3, mL, or m3.
Density can be measured in g/cm3, g/mL, or kg/m3.

22. Question #11
If you squeeze a loaf of bread, how are you affecting its mass? Its volume? Its density?

23. Question #11
If you squeeze a loaf of bread, how are you affecting its mass? Its volume? Its density?
Answer
By squeezing it, you aren’t affecting its mass at all, since it still has the same amount of matter in it. You are decreasing its volume, since it takes up less space after you squeeze it. You are increasing its density, since you are making its matter packed more tightly when you squeeze it.

24. Question #12
If you have a 1g sample of water and a 1g sample of steel, which one has a greater volume? (Steel has a higher density than water.)

25. Question #12
If you have a 1g sample of water and a 1g sample of steel, which one has a greater volume? (Steel has a higher density than water.)
Answer
The water has a greater volume, since it needs more space for the same amount of matter, because it isn’t very tightly packed. The steel sample will be smaller since it is more tightly packed.

26. Question #13
Calculate the density of a liquid, if a 28mL sample of that liquid reads 25g on a digital balance.

27. Question #13
Calculate the density of a liquid, if a 28mL sample of that liquid reads 25g on a digital balance.
Answer
r = m/V
r = (25g)/(28mL)
r = 0.89g/mL

28. Question #14
Calculate the mass of a 35cm3 piece of copper, if the density of copper is 8.9g/cm3.

29. Question #14
Calculate the mass of a 35cm3 piece of copper, if the density of copper is 8.9g/cm3.
Answer
r = m/V
8.9 = m/35
m = (8.9)(35) = 311.5g

30. Question #15
A science teacher performs a demonstration where he takes a balloon that has a little bit of air in it, and he heats the balloon. What happens to the balloon?

31. Question #15
A science teacher performs a demonstration where he takes a balloon that has a little bit of air in it, and he heats the balloon. What happens to the balloon?
Answer
The air particles inside the balloon spread farther apart when it is heated, which makes the balloon’s volume increase and its density decrease. If the balloon is heated enough, it might even start to float because its density could become less than the density of the surrounding air.