1) A frontal system is causing precipitation from Michigan to Louisiana.
A weather forecaster studying the behavior of the entire system would
be dealing with a weather situation on the _______________ scale.
A) Mesoscale C) Synoptic E) Atomic
B) Micro D) Boundary Layer
Solution to Question 1
C - In the January 7 lecture, we learned the meteorological length scales. The synoptic scale refers to events considered on the order of several hundred to several thousand miles.
15 % of the class missed Question #1.
2) What can you say is true about the two primary gases found in Earth's
atmosphere?
A) Each have higher boiling points than water
B) They are the primary constituents of Venus' atmosphere as well
C) In their molecular state, each consist of two atoms bonded together
D) Each protect the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation
E) Each have identical molecular weights
Solution to Question 2
C - The two primary gases of the atmosphere are nitrogen and oxygen. The chemical formulas for each are N2 and O2 respectively. Nitrogen gas is actually composed of nitrogen molecules which are two nitrogen atoms bonded together. The same is true for oxygen.
27 % of the class missed Question #2.
3) In which of the following layers of the atmosphere does temperature
usually increase with increasing altitude?
A) Stratosphere C) Troposphere
B) Heliosphere D) Mesosphere
Solution to Question 3
A - The stratosphere is where the ozone layer resides. The ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This absorption causes the ozone layer to heat up, thus the stratosphere warms with increasing elevation.
31 % of the class missed Question 3.
4) In which of the following layers of the atmosphere does pressure
usually decrease with increasing altitude?
A) Stratosphere B) Mesosphere C) Troposphere
D) Thermosphere E) All of the above F) None of the above
Solution to Question 4
E - Pressure decreases continuously from a maximum value at the surface to zero at the edge of space.
40 % of the class missed Question #4.
5) In 1918, a German Scientist named Waldimir Koppen subdivided
climate zones into 5 major regions. In lecture, what did we say
Tallahassee's climate would likely be classified as based on his naming
scheme?
A) Tropical moist climate
B) Dry climate
C) Moist mid-latitude climate with mild winters
D) Moist mid-latitude climate with severe winters
E) Polar climate
Solution to Question 5
C - We are not quite warm enough to be considered a tropical moist climate (A) and our winters are not severe enough to be classified as choice D. Obviously we are not a dry climate (B) and we certainly are not Polar (E). Choice C is the best.
2 % of the class missed Question #5.
6) Which of the following phenomena is the best example of how certain
gases absorb radiation of certain wavelengths better than other
wavelengths?
A) Lightning D) The Ozone Layer
B) Vorticity E) Moist air is lighter than dry air
C) Convection F) Conduction
< b>Solution to Question 6
D - Ozone absorbs radiation at the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Radiation of other frequencies, visible light for instance, passes through the ozone layer uninhibited however.
34 % of the class missed Question #6.
7) If the average product of the mass and the velocity squared of the
atoms and molecules that make up a given substance decreases, which
of the following statements can you make with the most confidence?
A) The temperature of the substance will decrease
B) The pressure of the substance will decrease
C) The temperature of the substance will increase
D) The Gas Constant, R, will increase by a factor of 2
E) The Gas Constant, R, will decrease by a factor of 2
Solution to Question 7
A - It is the average kinetic energies of the atoms and molecules that comprise a substance that determine that substance's temperature. Kinetic energy is determined by the mass of an object times the quantity one half (0.5) times the square of the object's velocity.
55 % of the class missed Question #7.
8) Our sun is essentially a giant _________ reactor. In this process,
___________ atoms smash together releasing heat energy and
_________ atoms are formed. The energy released from this
process is what powers the sun and all other stars as well.
A) fission, carbon, nitrogen D) fission, carbon, helium
B) chemical, helium, hydrogen E) fusion, hydrogen, helium
C) fusion, hydrogen, carbon D) organic, carbon, nitrogen
Solution to Question 8
E - Nuclear fusion refers to the process by which two atoms slam together releasing heat and forming a new atom. Fission is when an atom is split apart releasing heat and forming two new atoms.
33 % of the class missed Question #8.
9) Consider the situation below. Each of the two circles represent two
nearby weather stations. The numbers to the left of the circle represent
the temperature in degrees F and the bars point to the direction that the
wind is coming from. The local time in the cities below is 11:00 PM.
What can you say with most confidence will likely happen at Station
B?
Solution to Question 9
D - The wind is blowing from Station A toward Station B. Colder air will be advected toward Station B. Therefore, it should be intuitive that since cold air is moving toward Station B, the temperature there will become cooler. The reason I said that the time was 11:00 PM was so you would know that the sun was not out and that there would be no significant solar heating taking place. Otherwise, it would not have been as clear-cut of a solution.
19 % of the class missed Question #9.
10) Station B in the above diagram is likely (or will soon likely) be
experiencing:
A) Cold advection C) Warm advection E) Cold convection
B) Warm convection D) Cold conduction F) Warm conduction
Solution to Question 10
A - Advection implies to quantities being transported by the wind. Since cold air is moving toward warmer air, it can be implied that Station B will experience cold advection.
19 % of the class missed Question #10.
11) Which statement about the Stefan-Boltzman Law is accurate?
Solution to Question 11
C - The Stefan Boltzman Law says that all objects not at absolute zero will radiate energy based on the Stefan-Boltzman Constant times the fourth power of their temperature.
22 % of the class missed Question #11.
12) Consider the diagram below:
The length of b divided by the length of a determines the
_______________ of the ellipse. Every planet in the Solar System
follows an elliptical shaped solar orbit.
A) Orbital period D) Area
B) Ellipticity E) Volume
C) Eccentricity F) Density
Solution to Question 12
C - Eccentricity can be though of as a measure of an ellipse's "non-roundness."
11 % of the class missed Question #12.
13)
Consider the diagram below:
In 3 months from the above picture, it will be the first day of
________ in Sydney, Australia.
A) Summer B) Fall C) Winter
D) Spring
Solution to Question 13
D - In the picture above, the sun's rays are directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer. We learned in class this marks the first day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The first day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is the first day of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere as I rightly expect each student in the class to have known. 3 months after the first day of Winter marks the first day of Spring.
58 % of the class missed Question #13.
14) Current flows through a wire and the wire gets hot to the touch. This
is an example of ________. Measuring the magnitude of this
quantity is how ________ are calibrated as we discussed in class.
A) Capicitance, density meters
B) Electric charge, anemometers
C) Electrical resistivity, digital thermometers
D) Voltage, hygrometers
Solution to Question 14
C - Electrical resistivity is a measure of how much energy is lost as an electrical current passes through a conductor (such as a wire). Resistivity is directly proportional to temperature. In a digital thermometer, an electrical impulse is sent through a wire and the amount of energy lost as the impulse passes through a resistor is calibrated according to the temperature and the value is displayed on an LCD display.
25 % of the class missed Question #14.
15) A rectangular solid has dimensions 3 m x 4 m x 5 m. It weighs 240
kilograms. Its density is:
Solution to Question 15
C - Density is equal to mass divided by volume. The volume of a rectangular solid is found by m ultiplying the length times width times height (3 x 4 x 5 = 60 m^3). The mass of the solid is 240 kilograms. 240 kg divided by 60 m^3 = 4 kg/m^3.
25 % of the class missed Question #15.
16) Consider a container of a given gas at some pressure (P) and
temperature (T). If you know the volume (V) of the container, you
can find the mass of the gas sample from the following
expression:
Solution to Question 16
A - If we start with P = (rho)*R*T where rho is equal to density (I have no way of representing the Greek letter rho in this paragraph) and recognize that rho is actually mass/volume, we can rearrange terms and solve the expression for mass. This giv es mass = PV/RT.
47 % of the class missed Question #16.
17) Which of the following situations is a good example of latent
heating/cooling that we discussed in class?
A) Light shining through a prism D) Ring around sun or moon
B) Stepping out of the shower E) Stratus clouds with a cold front
C) A wire that feels warm
Solution to Question 17
B - We talked about in class how it takes heat for water to change phase from the liquid phase to the gas phase. When you step out of t he shower, you are covered by liquid water drops. In order to evaporate off of your skin, these water droplets pull heat out of your body (which cools you) to get sufficient energy to get to the higher energy gas (vapor) phase. This heat required is the Latent Heat of Vaporization.
6 % of the class missed Question #17.
18) 100 billion units of energy arrive at a planet from a star and 60 billion
are reflected back out into space. The __________ of this planet is .4.
A) Reflectivity D) Albedo
B) Emissivity
E) Absorptivity
C) Eccentricity
Solution to Question 18
E - Aborptivity is the answer. Remember albedo is the percentage of energy reflected back into space. That that is not reflected is absorbed. In the described scenario, 60 % of the energy is reflected back into space. The percentage absorbed is equal to 100 % - albedo %. 100 % - 60 % = 40 % = 0.4. Hence absorptivity is equal to 0.4.
75 % of the class missed Question #18.
19) In lecture, we learned that this principle was utilized in fiber optic
communications.
A) Snell's Law D) Wien's Displacement Law
B) Scattering E) Theory of Relativity
C) Total Internal Reflection F) Stefan Boltzman Law
Solution to Question 19
C - Light continuously reflects down a thin glass wire called a fiber optic cable. This is already becoming one of the most popular means of global internet and telephone communication.
42 % of the class missed Question #19.
20) In which location below would you expect to encounter the strongest
winds? Each of the four situations below are independent of one
another. (mb is a unit of pressure called millibars)
Solution to Question 20
B - A gradient is a change in a quantity over a change in a distance. The higher the value of a pressure gradient, the more forcefully air will blow from the region of higher pressure toward lower pressure. Dividing the difference in pressure between each station by the distance between stations for each of the above four scenarios, we find that choice B has the strongest value of pressure gradient.
42 % of the class missed Question #20.
21) On a given evening in Tallahassee, the base of some cumulus clouds
are observed to be 600 meters above the ground. The temperature is 68 F and the dewpoint temperature
is 9 degrees below the temperature. Which of the statements can
made with the most confidence?
A) The relative humidity is 86 % at the ground
B) At 600 meters, vapor pressure is equal to satuaration vapor pressure
C) The dewpoint temperature is the same at the ground as it is at 600
meters
D) The cumulus clouds will likely grow into cumulonimbus clouds
E) The density of the air is greater at 600 meters than at the ground
F) The saturation vapor pressure at 600 meters is 20 mb
Solution to Question 21
B - The saturation ratio is defined as the vapor pressure divided by the saturation vapor pressure. Saturation vapor pressure is what the vapor pressure would need to be for the air to be saturated and the Relative Humidity to be 100 %. The base of the cumulus clouds likely indicates the level where the dewpoint temperature is equal to the air temperature. At this level, the Relative Humidity is 100 % and the saturation vapor pressure equals the vapor pressure.
54 % of the class missed Question #21.
22) The sun is located at point A in the sky. The fish below however
sees the sun at point B. What is the best explanation for this?
A) The Index of Refraction of air is less than water
B) Wien's Displacement Law explains that light will bend as it moves
into water
C) Light is scattered in all directions
D) The frequency of visible light is higher in water than in air
E) The fish has been drinking alcohol spilled in the river by fishermen
Solution to Question 22
A - If we are looking down the direction of travel of light, when light encounters a medium with a higher index of refraction, it will slow down and deflect towar d the left. This is the case in the above situation where the fish is viewing a sun actually to the left of where he/she is looking. The Index of Refraction of water is indeed higher than air.
47 % of the class missed Question #22.
23) In a given volume of air, the mass of water vapor divided by the total
mass of air is equal to:
A) Relative humidity
B) Saturation ratio
C) Lifting Condensation Level
D) Mixing ratio
E) Specific humidity
Solution to Question 23
E - Specific humidity is mass of water vapor divided by total mass of air.
63 % of the class missed Question #23.
24) In a given container at temperature (T) and pressure (P), there is one
mole of nitrogen molecules, two moles of oxygen molecules, and one
mole of carbon dioxide molecules. According to the molar form of the
Ideal Gas Law (PV=nRT), at the same temperature (T) and pressure (P),
how many moles of water vapor molecules would fit into the
container?
A) one B) two C) three D) four
E) five F) six G) seven
Solution to Question 24
D - No matter which gases are considered, at equal temperature and pressure, the same number of molecules, regardless of which types of molecules you are considering, will fit into a given volume.
40 % of the class missed Question #24.
25) In the situation below, which cloud sequence will an observer at point
A likely observe during the next several hours?
A) cirrus, cirrostratus, altostratus, stratus, nimbostratus
B) cirrocumulus, altostratus, cirrocumulus, cumulonimbus, stratus
C) stratocumulus, altostratus, nimbostratus, cumulonimbus, cumulus
D) cumulonimbus, cumulus, stratocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus
E) altostratus, stratus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, cumulonimbus
Solution to Question 25
A - This tested your understanding of the January 30 l ecture. In a warm front, warm air pushes into cold air. Since warm air is lighter and less dense, it can't push the cold air out of the way, so it is forced upward over the cold air. At the interface of these two air masses, condensation occurs. Wa y out ahead of the warm front, the clouds are high (cirro-type). They thicken and lower as the front approaches. Choice A is the only scenario that describes an overall lowering and thickening of the clouds.
53 % of the class missed Question #25.
ESSAY QUESTION (25 poin ts)
1) Describe the vertical structure of our atmosphere. Include the names
of the different layers we discussed in class and any pertinent
information about each one. Including a diagram may be helpful.
Essay 1 Comments
I was looking for mention of the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Some things you remembered about each were required as well such as the fact that the ozone layer and jet stream can be found in the stratosphere. Check out the January 7 lecture for more details.
2) Describe the formation of a cloud. Use terms we discussed in class and
be as thorough as possible. Illustrations may be helpful.
Essay 2 Comments
I was checking your understanding of the mechanisms that promote cloud development. Certain issues were a must to mention such as vertical motion, air becoming saturated, condensation nucl ei. See the January 28 lecture for a further discussion.
3) Describe the ten cloud formations we discussed in the January 30
lecture. Illustrations welcome.
Essay 3 Comments
See the January 30 lecture for the complete rundown of the ten cloud formations referred to.
4) Describe the methods of heat transfer we discussed in class. Give
physical examples of each situation.
Essay 4 Comments
I was looking for you to discuss Advection (heat transfer by the wind), Conduction (heat transfer through solid objects), Convection (heat transfer through li quids or gases), and Radiation (heat transfer through the form of electromagnetic waves). I was also looking for a creative example of each scenario. See the January 12 lecture for a further discussi on.
5) Explain Wien's Displacement Law to the best of your ability.
Essay 5 Comments
This law has to do with the fact that at different temperatures, substances radiate the maximum amount of their radiational energy at different wavelengths.
Extra credit (1 point)
Silver is my dog's name.
