STRUCTURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE LAB read pages 406-412 and plot #1 and #2 for Fri. NAME______

DATE______HOUR___

Purpose: To analyze the structure of Earth’s atmosphere. To compare temperature changes with height.

Procedure:

1. Use the data table provided to graph the temperature vs. altitude of the atmosphere. Label the vertical axis “altitude”. Label the horizontal axis “temperature”. Plot all points on the graph and connect with a smooth line.

DATA TABLE

TEMPERATURE
(C) / ALTITUDE
(km)
15 / 0
-56 / 10
-56 / 20
-45 / 32
-2 / 47
-2 / 53
-21 / 62
-54 / 70
-85 / 83
-85 / 93
-72 / 100

2. Label or draw the following features on the graph:

height (km) / feature
0-10 / clouds
12 / average aircraft flying height
35 / ozone layer
70 / area where meteors burn
80 / reflects radio waves (ionosphere)

QUESTIONS(use your graph and pages 410-412 in text)

1. Label the following layers on your graph: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere. tropopause, stratopause, and mesopause. Page 412, in your textbook will help.

2. Explain the reason for the following:

Temperature decrease with altitude in the troposphere

Temperature increase in the stratosphere

Temperature increase in the thermosphere

3. Why doesn’t the Earth’s atmosphere steadily increase or decrease as you go from ground to space?

(why does temperature zig-zag?)

4. Very high clouds in the sky are called cirrus clouds. They are made of ice crystals and look wispy. There are in the upper part of the troposphere. Approximately how high are these clouds in miles? Show work:

5. Use your graph to determine the temperature of cirrus clouds?______

6. What factor is used to divide the atmosphere into layers? ______

7. Which layer is the densest? ______Why is this?

How does density relate to air pressure?

8. Why do people who climb Mt. Everest need to carry oxygen? Relate your answer to air pressure. (Figure 15.4 may be helpful)

9. Mt. Everest is approximately 8 km tall. What layer of the atmosphere is the top of Mt. Everest in?

What is its temperature?

10. Why do planes fly in the stratosphere as oppose to the troposphere? (hint: it has nothing to do with temperature)

11. At what altitude is the atmosphere’s coldest temperature? ______km

Explain why this is

12. If an astronaut puts her hand out into the top of thermosphere it will not feel hot, yet the graph shows very high temperatures at this level. Explain why her hand would not feel hot.

13. When Mrs. Bouda went to Hawaii, she went to the top of Mauna Kea which is 14,000 feet. She had an empty water bottle in her car when she started at sea level. Would this water bottle expand or contract at the top of Mauna Kea? Use air pressure in your answer.

Bonus: In the scenario above, if the temperature at sea level was 80 F, what was the temperature at the top of Mauna Kea? Use the environmental lapse rate (page 410) to calculate your answer. Show your work: