1. Energy in the Earth’s Atmosphere
Mrs. Wharton’s Science Class

2. Electromagnetic Waves
Nearly all energy in the Earth’s atmosphere comes from the sun.
Electromagnetic Waves- How energy from the sun travels to the earth.

3. Radiation The direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves.
Electromagnetic waves- classified according to wavelength.

4. Infrared and Ultraviolet Radiation
Most of the energy from the sun reaches earth in the form of visible light and infrared radiation.
A small amount arrives as ultraviolet radiation.

5. Infrared and Ultraviolet Radiation
Infrared radiation- a form of energy with wavelengths that are longer than those of red light.
Ultraviolet radiation- is a form of energy with wavelengths that are shorter than those of violet light.

6. Scattering
Some sunlight is absorbed or reflected by the atmosphere before it can reach the earth’s surface. The rest passes through the atmosphere to the surface.
Scattering-Dust particles and gases in the atmosphere reflect light from the sun in all directions.

7. Greenhouse Effect
When Earth’s surface is heated , it radiates most of the energy back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation.
The process by which gases hold heat in the air is call the Green House Effect