SCIENCE NEWS

Atmosphere Layers by Height

What are the distinct properties of the

Atmosphere? Temperature Air Pressure Humidity

What is Temperature?

The measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a material

How is Temperature Measured?

Temperature in the atmosphere decreases

when altitude increases

What is the relationship between temperature and the atmospheric layers?

TEMPERATURE INVERSION

In the TROPOSPHERE

there is an exception.

Over a localize region, an increase in temperature occurs with an increase in

altitude.

Effects … FOG

Chicago

What is Air Pressure?

Pressure exerted on a surface by the weight of the atmosphere

above the surface

How is air pressure measured?

Barometer units of

millibars (mb)

Air pressure in the atmosphere decreases when altitude increases

What is the relationship between air pressure and the atmospheric layers?

Density

Remember the candy model?

What does the different size candies

represent?

Density: The mass of a material in a unit volume.

In the atmosphere because atoms & molecules become farther apart as altitude increase… the density of air decreases with increasing

altitude.

HOMEWORK

Read text p 289-292

ANY QUESTIONS?

SCIENCE NEWS

What is Humidity?

The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at a given location on the

Earth’s surface.

1. Relative Humidity

2. Dew Point

Commonly described in two

ways..

THE AMOUNT OF WATER VAPOR IN THE AIR RELATIVE TO THE AMOUNT OF WATER VAPOR NEEDED TO

REACH SATURATION

1. Relative Humidity

EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGEMeasured by a …

Relative Humidity decreases with increasing temperature.

2. Dew Point

expressed as temperature which air

must be cooled at constant pressure to

reach saturation

Dew Point Chart

RELATIVE HUMIDITY & DEW POINT TALKS

ABOUT SATURATION. WHAT IS SATURATION? A condition where any

addition of water vapor to an air mass leads to

condensation

Relationship between Temperature, Dew Point &

Humidity Activity:

Suomi Virtual Museum

Humidity in the atmosphere depends

upon on evaporation & condensation

What is the relationship between

humidity and the atmosphere?

LATENT HEAT

What is released when water vapor

condenses?

The extra thermal energy contained in water vapor compared to liquid water.

Within Each Layer

Let’s combine all the properties of the

atmosphere… altitude,

temperature, air pressure, humidity

Review The Troposphere Temperature

decreases with altitude

Air pressure decreases significantly

Weather & Clouds

The Stratosphere Temperature

increases with altitude

Air pressure decreases rapidly

Ozone Layer, Weather Balloons & Jet planes

Mesosphere Temperature

decreases Air pressure

steadily decreasing

Meteors burn up & Rounding rockets

Thermosphere Temperature

increases sharply then steady extreme heat

Air pressure negligible

Space shuttle Orbits & Auroras

Read Text p 297-303

From these pages formulate two

questions

HOMEWORK

ANY QUESTIONS?