Physical Geography Practice Quiz: The Atmosphere I

1. What is the largest component of the lower atmosphere, by total volume?

A. Oxygen

B. Nitrogen

C. Helium

D. Argon

E. Water vapor

 

2. What adds oxygen to the atmosphere?

A. The rusting of iron

B. Solar radiation

C. Decomposition (rotting) of dead animals

D. Burning of coal

E. Green plants

 

3. What is the lowest layer of the atmosphere?

A. The mesosphere

B. The troposphere

C. The thermosphere

D. The stratosphere

E. The exosphere

 

4. What is the hottest layer of the atmosphere?

A. The thermosphere

B. The troposphere

C. The stratosphere

D. The mesosphere

E. The exosphere

 

5. Which layer of the atmosphere has the most water vapor?

A. The stratosphere

B. The exosphere

C. The mesosphere

D. The troposphere

E. The stratosphere

 

6. A layer of _____ in the stratosphere absorbs ultraviolet light from the Sun.

A. Argon

B. Neon

C. Ozone

D. Carbon dioxide

E. Nitrogen

 

7. Argon is the _____ most plentiful gas in the atmosphere.

A. First

B. Second

C. Third

D. Fourth

E. Fifth

 

8. Which of the following is a major greenhouse gas?

A. Nitrogen

B. Neon

C. Chlorine

D. Carbon dioxide

E. Helium

 

9. As you go up in altitude in the atmosphere, what generally happens to the air pressure?

A. Decreases

B. Increases

C. Decreases for a few miles, then increases

D. Increases for a few miles, then decreases

E. Has no predictable pattern

 

10. True or False: The amount of sunlight striking a given location on the Earth primarily depends on the location’s latitude.

A. True

B. False