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Science notes

Atmosphere - is divided into four main layers based upon changes in temperature.

Layers of the Atmosphere

● Exosphere
● Thermosphere
● Mesosphere
● Stratosphere
● Troposphere

Troposphere
- Lowest layer of the atmosphere and the closest to Earth
- Tropo means turning or changing (there is more change in this layer than any other)
- Weather occurs here
- Shallowest layer (thinnest)
- Contains almost all the mass of the atmosphere
- It is 16 km thick at equator and less than 9 km thick at poles
- As altitude increases, temperature decreases

Stratosphere
- Second layer of the atmosphere
- Reaches from troposphere to about 50 km above surface of Earth
- Strato means layer or spread out
- Ozone layer is here (remember it protects living things from ultraviolet radiation from
Sun)
- Jets often fly here because it is calm
- As altitude increases, temperature increases (because ozone layer absorbs heat)

Mesosphere
- Third layer of the atmosphere
- Meso means middle
- Reaches from 50 km to 80 km above Earth’s surface
- Protects Earth’s surface from being hit by meteoroids (chunks of stone and metal from
space – but some still get through)
- A shooting star is a trail of hot, glowing gasses a meteoroid leaves behind in the
mesosphere
- As altitude increases, temperature decreases
Thermosphere
- Outermost layer of our atmosphere
- Reaches from 80 km above Earth’s surface into outer space.
- There is no definite upper limit
- Thermo means heat
- Thickest layer you would not feel warm here
- As altitude increases, temperature increases
- Has two other layers ( Ionosphere , Exosphere )

Ionosphere
- Lower layer of the Thermosphere
- Energy from the sun causes gas molecules here to become electrically charged particles
- Radio waves bounce off ions back to Earth (makes signals travel much farther at night)
- Auroras happen near the poles because of the ionosphere – these are brilliant streaks of
light in night skies

Exosphere
- Exo means outer
- Is the outer portion of the thermosphere
- Reaches from about 400 km outward for thousands of kilometers
- Space shuttles and satellites orbit Earth here

Temperature - The average amount of energy of motion of each molecule of a substance

Air
- is a mixture of gasses

Properties of the Air

- Air colorless, tasteless, and odorless
- Air has mass and volume
- Therefore, air is matter

Composition of the Atmosphere

Nitrogen (78%)
- Maintained through a process called the Nitrogen Cycle
- Nitrogen from the air moves to the soil, then to plants and animals, and
eventually back to the air
Oxygen (21%)
- natural processes maintain the balance of oxygen in the atmosphere
- land and ocean plants create oxygen through photosynthesis
- animals use oxygen during respiration

Argon (<1%)
 Carbon dioxide (<1%)
- most abundant compound in the atmosphere
- greenhouse gas that influences global warming
Water vapor
- gaseous form of water
- Amount present in air depends on many factors (<1%-4%)
Ozone particles
- such as volcanic dust, soil lifted by wind, pollen, evaporated salt

The Climate of the Philippines - is tropical and maritime. It is characterized by relatively high
temperature, high humidity and abundant rainfall.

Winter Solstice - the first day of winter is usually between December 20 and 22.

Vernal Equinox - the first day of spring and usually between March 20-23.

Summer Solstice - the first day of summer and usually between June 20 and 22.

Autumnal Equinox - the first day of autumn and usually between September 20 and 23.

Lunar eclipse - when the Earth’s shadow covers the moon.

Solar eclipse - when the moon covers the sun.

Equinox - An astronomical event that happens twice, once in spring and once in autumn each
year when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun. During
Equinoxes the tilt of the Earth (with respect to the Sun) is 0° and because of it duration of the
day and the night are almost equal on Equinox day i.e. 12 hours. Equinoxes occur on 20th or
21st March and 22nd or 23rd September each year and both days has equal length of
the day and the night.

Solstice - solstitium meaning “sun stopping”

-an astronomical event that happens twice, once in summer and once in winter, each
year when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the North or
South Pole. During Solstices the tilt of the axil of the Earth (with respect to the Sun) is
the maximum at 23° 26'. Solstices are preferably referred as June Solstice (Northern
Solstice) and December Solstice (Southern Solstice)

Eclipse - occurs when one object in space blocks an observer from seeing another object
in space. From Earth there are two main types of eclipses: solar eclipses and lunar eclipses.
Solar eclipse - occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun causing a shadow to fall on
certain portions of the Earth. The eclipse is not seen from every place on Earth, but only from
the locations where the shadow falls. From these locations, it appears as if the Sun has gone
dark.

Umbra :The umbra is the portion of the Moon's shadow where the Moon completely covers the
sun.

Antumbra: The area of the shadow beyond the point of the umbra. Here the moon is
completely in front of the Sun, but doesn't cover the entire Sun.

Penumbra: The area of the shadow where only a portion of the Moon is in front of the Sun.

Total eclipse: A total eclipse is where the Sun is covered completely by the Moon.

Annular eclipse: An annular eclipse is when the Moon covers the Sun, but the Sun can be
seen around the edges of the Moon.

Partial eclipse: A partial eclipse is when only a portion of the Sun is blocked by the Moon.

Lunar - eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow. Lunar eclipses have
the same three phases or types as solar eclipses including the umbra (total), antumbra
(annular), and penumbra (partial). Can be seen by a much larger area of the Earth than solar
eclipses. They also can be viewed without special equipment to protect the eyes. Lunar eclipses
are not totally dark.