Weather Challenge Practice
| # | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nitrogen (N2), about 78% of dry air. |
| 2 | Carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). |
| 3 | Weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate describes the long-term average pattern of weather in a region. |
| 4 | Air pressure decreases as altitude increases. |
| 5 | Warm air is less dense than cooler air, so it rises. |
| 6 | Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. |
| 7 | The dew point is the temperature at which air becomes saturated and water vapor begins to condense. |
| 8 | O3. |
| 9 | The troposphere. |
| 10 | Because it affects cloud formation, precipitation, temperature, and energy transfer in the atmosphere. |
| 11 | About 21 out of every 100 volumes of dry air is oxygen. |
| 12 | Water heats and cools more slowly than land, so nearby air temperatures change less dramatically. |
| 13 | Condensation is the change of water vapor into liquid water; it is important because it leads to cloud formation and precipitation. |
| 14 | Evaporation (or vaporization). |
| 15 | Absolute humidity is the actual amount of water vapor in air, while relative humidity is how close the air is to saturation at a given temperature. |
| 16 | Because lower temperatures reduce the maximum amount of water molecules that can remain in the gas phase before condensation occurs. |
| 17 | Aerosols provide surfaces for condensation and can influence cloud formation, visibility, and climate. |
| 18 | CH4 + 2O2 -> CO2 + 2H2O |
| 19 | It releases additional CO2 into the atmosphere, increasing its concentration. |
| 20 | Acid rain is precipitation with unusually low pH, formed when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react in the atmosphere to produce acids. |
| 21 | Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2). |
| 22 | 2SO2 + O2 -> 2SO3; then SO3 + H2O -> H2SO4 |
| 23 | Sunlight drives photochemical reactions involving nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, forming ozone and other smog components. |
| 24 | Photochemical smog is air pollution formed by sunlight-driven reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. |
| 25 | Stratospheric ozone absorbs harmful UV radiation, while ground-level ozone is a pollutant that irritates the respiratory system. |
| 26 | The gas volume increases as external pressure decreases. |
| 27 | As air warms, gas particles move faster and the air expands, becoming less dense than surrounding air, so it rises. |
| 28 | 0.50 mol, because 1 mol occupies 22.4 L at STP. |
| 29 | 2.0 g/m3. |
| 30 | Relative humidity decreases. |
| 31 | The grass cools below the dew point, causing water vapor in the air to condense into liquid droplets. |
| 32 | The air is saturated with water vapor at that temperature. |
| 33 | Pressure increases to 1.10 atm, since P is directly proportional to T at constant volume. |
| 34 | Collisions between ice particles, graupel, and water droplets separate charges within the cloud. |
| 35 | Lightning provides enough energy to break N2 bonds, allowing nitrogen and oxygen to form nitrogen oxides. |
| 36 | N2 + O2 -> 2NO |
| 37 | Rising air expands and cools, which can lower the temperature to the dew point and cause condensation. |
| 38 | Its maximum water-holding capacity decreases. |
| 39 | Strong surface heating causes air to rise, and high humidity provides abundant water vapor for condensation and cloud growth. |
| 40 | They are tiny particles that provide surfaces for water vapor to condense onto, helping cloud droplets form. |
| 41 | Nitric acid contributes to acid deposition, which can weather rocks and damage soils and aquatic ecosystems. |
| 42 | They can release ash and sulfur dioxide; sulfate aerosols reflect sunlight and can temporarily cool the atmosphere, while ash affects cloud processes and air quality. |
| 43 | Cloudy, humid, and potentially stormy conditions, often with rising air and precipitation. |
| 44 | It is relatively unreactive in the lower atmosphere, but it absorbs infrared radiation and affects Earth’s energy balance. |
| 45 | Both are greenhouse gases, but methane is more potent per molecule over short timescales and can be oxidized in the atmosphere, while CO2 is more abundant and longer-lived. |
| 46 | 0.970 atm. |
| 47 | It usually indicates that air is rising and systems such as storms or fronts may be approaching. |
| 48 | Fog forms by condensation of water vapor into tiny droplets suspended near Earth's surface, just like a cloud. |
| 49 | The statement is too broad; some aerosols are pollutants, but others such as sea salt, dust, and pollen occur naturally and can also influence clouds and weather. |
| 50 | Warmer temperatures can increase evaporation, but lower relative humidity means the air is farther from saturation, so cloud formation is less likely. Fewer clouds allow more solar heating, which can reinforce warmth. Air quality may worsen if stagnant, dry conditions allow pollutants such as ozone and particulates to accumulate, and stronger sunlight can increase photochemical smog formation. |