Q&A Hero

Q: The rate at which air temperature changes with altitude is called A) the inversion rate. B) vertical development. C) the lapse rate. D) an isotherm.

Q: Land and sea breezes result from A) the Coriolis force. B) convection cycles. C) low-pressure areas. D) high-pressure areas.

Q: A sea breeze on a coast is the result of A) Rayleigh scattering. B) a convection cycle. C) the Coriolis force. D) friction or drag.

Q: Air circulation around a cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere as viewed from above is A) counterclockwise. B) the same as in the Southern Hemisphere. C) toward the center of the low-pressure area. D) along isobars.

Q: A primary force that produces air motion is A) gravity. B) the Coriolis force. C) friction. D) the electromagnetic force.

Q: The horizontal movement of air is called A) an anticyclone. B) wind. C) air currents. D) a hurricane.

Q: Doppler radar is replacing conventional radar in weather forecasting because A) it can measure wind speeds. B) Doppler radar is widely used in police cars. C) it is cheaper. D) government agencies are required to use the latest equipment.

Q: Precipitation is measured with A) a psychrometer. B) an anemometer. C) a rain gauge. D) a barometer.

Q: A line drawn through locations of equal atmospheric pressure is a(n) A) equipress. B) anemometer. C) wind vane. D) isobar.

Q: Wind speed is measured by means of A) a psychrometer. B) an anemometer. C) a wind vane. D) a barometer.

Q: The heat index accounts for the "real feel" due to the effects of A) temperature and perspiration. B) temperature and pressure. C) temperature and humidity. D) humidity and pressure.

Q: For normal household temperatures, a comfortable relative humidity is A) 100% B) 0% C) 25% D) 50%

Q: The relative humidity (for a given volume of air), expressed as a decimal fraction, is A) the actual water vapor content divided by the maximum water vapor content. B) the maximum water vapor content divided by the actual water vapor content. C) the air temperature divided by the dew point temperature. D) the dew point temperature divided by the air temperature.

Q: The relative humidity is 100% when A) the psychrometer wet-bulb temperature is depressed. B) the actual moisture content is equal to the maximum moisture capacity. C) the air temperature is above the dew point temperature. D) the air temperature is 100F.

Q: Which of the following units is used to express atmospheric pressure? A) Torr only B) Millibar only C) Inches of Hg only D) All of these

Q: In attempting to pipe water to elevated heights, ______________ investigated atmospheric pressure. A) Newton B) Galileo C) Bergeron D) Torricelli

Q: The tallest column of water able to be supported by using atmospheric pressure is A) about 10 m. B) about 1 m. C) about 100 m. D) about 1 cm.

Q: To avoid toxic vapor, one can use a(n) ____________ barometer to measure pressure. A) mercury B) Galileo C) aneroid D) Torricelli

Q: The inventor of the mercury barometer was A) Newton. B) Galileo. C) Bergeron. D) Torricelli.

Q: Every square inch of our body, at sea level, sustains ______________ of atmospheric pressure. A) 14.7 lb B) 1.47 g C) 14.7 g D) 1.47 lb

Q: When measuring air temperature, it is best to avoid A) shade. B) shadows. C) direct sunlight. D) none of these.

Q: When the relative humidity is 100%, the air temperature is equal to A) the lapse rate. B) 100F. C) the dew point temperature. D) none of these.

Q: Which of the following has the smallest albedo? A) Water B) Polar ice C) Fresh snow D) Dry sand

Q: Which of the following has the largest albedo? A) Water B) Polar ice C) Fresh snow D) Dry sand E) Dark soil

Q: The fraction of incident light that a body reflects is known as its A) Rayleigh scattering. B) insolation. C) albedo. D) humidity.

Q: The troposphere derives energy by means of A) latent heat of condensation only. B) absorption of terrestrial radiation only. C) conduction from Earth's surface only. D) all of these.

Q: The blueness of the sky results from A) preferential scattering of light by gas molecules. B) the lapse rate. C) the greenhouse effect. D) latent heat.

Q: A phenomenon that occurs in the ionosphere is A) the greenhouse effect. B) photosynthesis. C) Rayleigh scattering. D) auroras.

Q: The ozone layer causes a temperature increase in the A) thermosphere. B) mesosphere. C) troposphere. D) stratosphere.

Q: Ions trapped in Earth's magnetic field give rise to A) photosynthesis. B) auroras. C) ultraviolet radiation. D) ozone.

Q: Radio waves are reflected by which of the following ion layers? A) C B) D C) F D) A

Q: Radio waves are reflected by which of the following ion layers? A) C B) D C) E D) B

Q: Radio waves, of sufficient frequency, pass through which of the following ion layers? A) C B) D C) E D) F

Q: The principal gases responsible for the greenhouse effect are A) water vapor and oxygen. B) oxygen and nitrogen. C) carbon dioxide and nitrogen. D) carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Q: Which of the following radiations is absorbed in the greenhouse effect? A) Ultraviolet only B) Visible only C) Infrared only D) All of these

Q: The reason why the sky is blue is best explained by A) the greenhouse effect. B) Rayleigh scattering. C) the dew point. D) auroras.

Q: The process that effectively regulates Earth's average temperature is A) the greenhouse effect. B) Rayleigh scattering. C) the dew point. D) auroras.

Q: The stratosphere and the troposphere account for ______________ of the mass of the atmosphere. A) 80% B) 90% C) 99.9% D) 78.1%

Q: Some of Earth's artificial satellites orbit in the A) stratosphere. B) troposphere. C) mesosphere. D) thermosphere. E) exosphere.

Q: At 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, this part of atmosphere is heated almost directly by the Sun's rays. A) Stratosphere B) Troposphere C) Mesosphere D) Thermosphere

Q: The coldest region of the atmosphere is the A) stratosphere. B) troposphere. C) mesosphere. D) thermosphere.

Q: Jet planes avoid bad weather by flying above it in the A) stratosphere. B) troposphere. C) mesosphere. D) thermosphere.

Q: Weather occurs in the A) stratosphere. B) troposphere. C) mesosphere. D) thermosphere.

Q: The top of the thermosphere is called the A) stratopause. B) tropopause. C) mesopause. D) thermopause.

Q: The top of the stratosphere is called the A) stratopause. B) tropopause. C) mesopause. D) thermopause.

Q: The bottom of the stratosphere is called the A) stratopause. B) tropopause. C) mesopause. D) thermopause.

Q: The top of the troposphere is called the A) stratopause. B) tropopause. C) mesopause. D) thermopause.

Q: The transition between the stratosphere and the troposphere is called the A) stratopause. B) tropopause. C) mesopause. D) thermopause.

Q: The transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere is called the A) stratopause. B) tropopause. C) mesopause. D) thermopause.

Q: About 80% of the mass of the atmosphere and most of the clouds and water vapor are located in the A) stratosphere. B) troposphere. C) mesosphere. D) thermosphere.

Q: Exploration of this part of the atmosphere was conducted in the nineteenth century with hot-air balloons. A) Stratosphere B) Troposphere C) Mesosphere D) Thermosphere

Q: The ozone layer lies in the A) stratosphere. B) troposphere. C) mesosphere. D) thermosphere.

Q: Which of the following is the most variable constituent of air? A) Argon B) Oxygen C) Water vapor D) Nitrogen

Q: Photosynthesis produces ______________ in the atmosphere. A) carbon dioxide B) oxygen C) argon D) carbon monoxide

Q: Oxygen is supplied to the atmosphere by A) ozone. B) incomplete combustion. C) photosynthesis. D) complete combustion.

Q: Which of the following gases is a trace natural constituent of the air? A) CO B) SO2 C) CO2 D) NO2

Q: Which of the following gases, is a trace natural constituent of the air? A) Ar B) SO2 C) CO D) NO2

Q: The second most abundant gas in the atmosphere is A) oxygen. B) nitrogen. C) water vapor. D) carbon dioxide.

Q: The most abundant gas in the atmosphere is A) oxygen. B) nitrogen. C) water vapor. D) carbon dioxide.

Q: The air pressure is 14.8 lb/in2.a. What is the approximate height, in centimeters, of a mercury column that this pressure would support?b. What would be the height, in meters, of the column for a water barometer?

Q: The absolute moisture content of the air is 7.7 g/ft3 on a day when the air temperature is 75F. What is the relative humidity?

Q: On a particular day, the air temperature is 75F. If lowering the air temperature by 9 would cause the air to be saturated, what is the relative humidity?

Q: A meteorologist getting ready for a weather report notes that the wet bulb of a psychrometer has a reading of 60F when the air temperature is 70F. What would be the resulting reports for (a) the relative humidity and (b) the dew point temperature?

Q: If the ground-level air temperature is 20C, what is the air temperature at the top of the troposphere (16 km), assuming a normal lapse rate?

Q: Vertical air movements are referred to as ______________.

Q: The "surface" of a black hole is known as the _______________. A) core B) corona C) photosphere D) event horizon

Q: The cataclysmic explosion of a star that throws most of its matter into space is called a _______________. A) supernova B) solar flare C) solar blast D) novaton

Q: An incredibly dense star so massive that light cannot escape from its surface is called a _______________. A) red giant B) black hole C) white dwarf D) pulsar

Q: The remaining core of a planetary nebula is called a _______________. A) white dwarf B) neutron star C) black hole D) red giant

Q: When the Sun moves off the main sequence, it will next become a _______________. A) red giant B) dwarf star C) white dwarf D) black hole

Q: The two types of bright nebulae are emission nebulae and _______________ nebulae. A) photonic B) absorption C) refraction D) reflection

Q: The greater the mass of a star, the _______________ it moves through its life cycle. A) faster B) slower C) Neither of these; mass has no effect on the life cycle of a star.

Q: Gas and dust distributed among the stars is known as the _______________. A) interstellar vacuum B) interstellar void C) Oort cloud D) interstellar medium

Q: The creation of elements inside a star is called _______________. A) nucleosynthesis B) fission C) production D) transmutation

Q: When the absolute magnitudes, or brightnesses, of stars are plotted against their surface temperatures or colors, we obtain a(n) A) Hertzsprung-Russell (or H-R) diagram. B) straight line. C) random pattern. D) none of the above

Q: Eighty-eight prominent groups of stars in the sky are called the _______________. A) constellations B) local groups C) clusters D) galaxies

Q: The Greek astronomer who assigned the stars to six magnitudes was named _______________. A) Aristotle B) Socrates C) Hipparchus D) Panos

Q: The stars of highest photospheric temperature are those of spectral class _______________. A) O B) M C) K D) C

Q: The closest star to the Sun is named _______________. A) Proxima Centauri B) Sol C) Jupiter D) Polaris

Q: A star of magnitude 1 appears _______________ times brighter than a star of magnitude 2. A) 5.21 B) 3.14 C) 10 D) 2.51