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Ch 3 The Atmosphere
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Weather | The condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place. |
| Atmosphere | The envelope of gases that surround Earth. |
| Water Vapor | Water in the form of a gas. |
| Density | The ratio of the mass of a substance to its volume. |
| Air Pressure | The pressure caused by the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area. |
| Barometer | An instrument used to measure changes in air pressure. |
| Mercury Barometers | An instrument that measure charges in air pressure, consisting of a glass tube partially filled with Mercury, with its open end resting in a dish of mercury. |
| Aneroid Barometer | A instrument that measures changes in air pressure without using a liquid. |
| Altitude | Elevation above sea level. |
| Troposphere | The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. |
| Stratosphere | The second-lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. |
| Mesosphere | The layer of Earth's atmosphere immediately above the stratosphere. |
| Thermosphere | The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere. |
| Ionosphere | The lower part of the thermosphere. |
| Exosphere | The outer layer of the thermosphere |
| Electromagnetic Waves | A wave that can transfer electric and magnetic energy through the vacuum of space. |
| Radiation | The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves. |
| Infrared Radiation | Electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are longer that visible light but shorter than microwaves. |
| Ultraviolet Radiation | Electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are shorter that visible light but longer that x-rays. |
| Scattering | Reflection of light in all directions. |
| Greenhouse Effect | The trapping of heat near a planet's surface by certain gases in the planet's atmosphere. |