PHYS 1009 Final Exam Homework Questions With 100% Verified Correct Answers.

T/F Atmospheric temperatures gradually and uniformly decrease as you move upward from Earth's surface and into the vacuum of space: - correct answers False Earth's atmosphere is primarily composed of: - correct answers Nitrogen This layer of Earth's atmosphere contains some of the highest atmospheric temperatures: - correct answers Thermosphere This section of our atmosphere houses the ozone layer, which helps to prevent ultraviolet (UV) radiation from reaching the Earth's surface: - correct answers Stratosphere Most of Earth's weather occurs in this layer of the atmosphere, which contains convection currents of moving air masses: - correct answers Troposphere This layer of the atmosphere is for the most part inaccessible to most of our aircraft and spacecraft: - correct answers Mesosphere The Montreal Protocol prohibits the release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), among other substances. That is because CFCs readily destroy ________________ molecules in the atmosphere. (Fill in the blank.) - correct answers Ozone (O3) The spectrum of electromagnetic radiation emitted by some object (a human, a bus, a moon, etc.) is mainly determined by its: - correct answers Temperature Based on what you know about the ability of a molecule to absorb infrared radiation and then vibrate, which of the following molecules would most likely be effective greenhouse gases? - correct answers 1. Carbon dioxide (CO2) 2. Water vapor (H2O) 3. Nitrous oxide (N2O) 4. Methane (CH4) Historical global climate change patterns (e.g., glacial-interglacial cycles within an ice age) are primarily explained by: - correct answers Milankovitch Cycles At present, Earth's closest approach to the Sun occurs right around the start of winter in the northern hemisphere. What term is used to refer to this particular point in Earth's orbital path? - correct answers Perihelion Earth's north pole traces out a giant circle in the sky, and it takes about 26,000 years to completely trace out this circle just once. Which Milankovitch cycle is being described here? - correct answers Precession of Earth's axis Given what you know about Earth's orbital speed as it passes through different points (such as perihelion and aphelion), which of the following seasons should be the longest in duration? - correct answers Northern Summer At present day, northern winter occurs when Earth is closest to the Sun. But due to Earth's precession, northern summer used to occur when Earth was closest to the Sun. When would you expect the northern hemisphere to experience its strongest seasonal contrast over the course of a given year? - correct answers ~13,000 years ago The southern hemisphere will experience its most extreme yearly seasonal variation whenever perihelion coincides with: - correct answers Southern Summer The Sun's power output varies according to a cycle that lasts approximately: - correct answers 11 years Which of the following would be considered sources of proxy data for learning about Earth's climate history? - correct answers 1. Direct temperature measurements from the early 20th century 2. The composition of lake & ocean sediment 3. The composition of air bubbles locked away in ice cores 4. The isotopic composition of coral reefs 5. The structure of tree rings You are analyzing an ice core sample. In a particular slice, you find that water molecules contain a relatively high ratio of heavy-to-light oxygen. This would seem to indicate that: - correct answers Temperatures were relatively high when that precipitation fell (thousands of years ago) Hydraulic fracturing (also known as "fracking") is a method of extracting ______________ from underground reservoirs. (Fill in the blank.) - correct answers Natural Gas Which type of fossil fuel is most abundant on Earth? - correct answers Coal The primary energy source of modern civilizations is: - correct answers Burning fossil fuels Which of the following factor(s) explain why sea levels have been rising over the last century? - correct answers 1. Water previously locked up in glaciers has been melted and added to the oceans. 2. Water expands as it heats up Which fundamental force is primarily responsible for keeping the nucleus "glued" together? - correct answers Strong nuclear force Which decay mode involves ejecting two protons and two neutrons (in other words, a complete helium nucleus) from the parent nucleus? - correct answers Alpha (α) decay A thorium-232 nucleus is unstable, and it decays into radium-228 by emitting a helium nucleus. Which nuclear process has just occurred? - correct answers Alpha (α) decay A stray neutron collides with a uranium-235 nucleus, which causes the nucleus to become unstable and split apart into two smaller nuclei (for example, molybdenum-103 and tin-131). Which nuclear process has just occurred? - correct answers Nuclear fission A potassium-40 nucleus (inside the banana you are eating) decays one of its neutrons into a proton and an electron, the latter of which gets emitted from the nucleus. Which nuclear process has just occurred? - correct answers Beta-minus decay Which decay mode would you expect to see from a carbon-15 nucleus? Use the "belt of stability" chart from the lecture slides to answer this question. [You will have to zoom in to find this nucleus on the chart.] - correct answers Beta-minus decay Which decay mode would you expect to see from a copper-58 nucleus? Use the "belt of stability" chart from the lecture slides to answer this question. [You will have to zoom in to find this nucleus on the chart.] - correct answers Beta-plus decay Which decay mode would you expect to see from a polonium-214 nucleus? Use the "belt of stability" chart from the lecture slides to answer this question. [You will have to zoom in in order to find this nucleus on the chart.] - correct answers Alpha (α) decay What process is utilized in most modern nuclear reactors in order to produce energy? - correct answers Fission Most uranium on Earth exists as this particular isotope: - correct answers Uranium-238 Prior to 1972, a significant portion of the USA's nuclear waste was disposed of by: - correct answers Dumping it into the ocean