Atomosphere 100518005917 Phpapp01
Atomosphere 100518005917 Phpapp01
http://www.vtaide.com/png/atmosphere.htm
Image courtesy of:
http://www.world-builders.org/lessons/less/les3/layers.html
Gases in the Atmosphere
The Earth’s
atmosphere is
made of nitrogen,
oxygen, and other
gases. The pie
graph shows how
much of each is in
the air.
Hot Air Balloons
Hot air balloons are are based on the basic
principle that warmer air rises in cooler air. Hot
air is lighter than cool air, because when air
heats, the molecules spread apart. While a
cubic foot of air normally weighs about 28
grams, if the air is heated by 100°F, it weighs
about 7 grams less. The reason hot air
balloons are so huge is because about 65,000
cubic feet of hot air is needed to lift 1,000
pounds,
http://www.howstuffworks.com/hot-air-balloon.htm
Image and more
information on
hot-air balloons
can be found at:
http://www.
howstuffworks
.com/hot-air-balloon.
htm
The Greenhouse Effect
(it’s natural- somewhat)
The reason our planet is able to
sustain life is because we have
and atmosphere and something
called the greenhouse effect. If
you remember, when we
studied the planets, those with
no atmosphere were either
really hot or really cold.
Mercury’s temperature varies from
200°F to 800°F even though it’s
closest to the sun.
Image courtesy of:
http://www.green-planet-solar-energy.com/mercury-the-planet.html
How Does it Work?
This is how the greenhouse effect works.
• The sun’s rays reach the Earth and convert to
heat energy.
• Some of this heat is absorbed by the surface.
• Some of it returns back to space.
• The atmosphere acts like a blanket, holding
the absorbed heat in so we don’t get too hot
or too cold.