Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
The Atmosphere
Chapter 1 Weather and Climate
| Key Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| weather | The condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place. |
| atmosphere | The layer of gases that surrounds Earth. |
| ozone | A form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of the usual two. |
| water vapor | Water in the form of a gas. |
| pollutant | Harmful substances in the air, water or soil. |
| photochemical smog | A brownish haze that is a mixture of oxone and other chemicals, formed when nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and other pollutants react with each other in the presence of sunlight. |
| acid rain | Rain that contains more acid than normal. |
| density | the amount of mass of a substance to a given volume. |
| pressure | The force pushing on an area or surface. |
| air pressure | A force that is the result of the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area. |
| barometer | An instrument used to measure changes in air pressure. |
| mercury barometer | An instrument that measures changes in air pressure, consisting of a glass tube partially filled with mercury, with its open end resting in a dish of mercury. Air pressure pushing on the mercury in the dish forces the mercury in the tube higher. |
| aneroid barometer | An instrument that measures changes in air pressure without using a liquid. Changes in the shape of an airtight metal box cause a needle on the barometer dial to move. |
| altitude | Elevation above sea level. |
| troposphere | The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs. |
| stratosphere | The second-lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere; the ozone layer is located in the upper stratosphere. |
| mesosphere | The middle layer of Earth's atmosphere; the layer in which most meteroroids burn up. |
| thermosphere | The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere - the ionosphere and the exosphere make up the thermosphere. |
| ionosphere | The lower part of the thermosphere, where electrically charged particles called ions are found. |
| aurora borealis | A colorful, glowing display in the sky caused when particles from the sun strike oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the ionosphere; also called the Northern Lights. |
| exosphere | The outer layer of the thermosphere, extending outward into space. |
| Lewis structure | An electron dot diagram where valence electrons are represented as dots. |
| electrons | A tiny, negatively charged particle that moves around the nucleus of an atom. |
| protons | A small, positively charged particle in the nucleus of the atom. |
| neutrons | A small particle in the nucleus of the atom, with no electrical charge. |
| valence electrons | One of the electrons farthest away from the nucleus of the atom; these electrons are involved in a chemical reaction. |
Created by:
melaniebird
Popular Earth Science sets