Lesson 15.

3: True or False
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________

Write true if the statement is true or false if the statement is false.

_____ 1. Most of the heat in the troposphere comes directly from the sun.

_____ 2. Convection currents occur in all five layers of the atmosphere.

_____ 3. Most of the heat that enters the mesosphere comes from the stratosphere.

_____ 4. Friction with gas molecules causes meteors to burn up in the atmosphere.

_____ 5. The troposphere rises to about 50 kilometers above Earth’s surface.

_____ 6. The top of the mesosphere is warmer than the bottom.

_____ 7. The aurora borealis occurs because of storms on Earth’s surface.

_____ 8. The thermosphere contains charged particles called ions.

_____ 9. The exosphere merges gradually with outer space.

_____ 10. Gas molecules in the exosphere are extremely cold.

Lesson 15.3: Critical Reading

Name___________________ Class______________ Date________

Read this passage based on the text and answer the questions that follow.

Troposphere

The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere. It rises to only about 12
kilometers (7 miles) above Earth’s surface. Even so, this layer holds 75 percent of all
the gas molecules in the atmosphere. Therefore, air is densest in this layer.

The temperature of the troposphere decreases as you go higher above Earth’s surface.
The troposphere gets some of its heat directly from the sun. Most, however, comes from
Earth's surface. The surface is heated by the sun and some of that heat re-radiates
back into the troposphere. This makes the temperature higher near the surface than at
higher altitudes. Warm air is less dense than cool air, so it rises higher in the
troposphere. This starts a convection current. Convection mixes the air in the
troposphere. Rising air is also a main cause of weather.
Sometimes air doesn’t mix in the troposphere. This happens when air is cooler closer to
the ground than it is higher above the surface. The cooler air is denser than the warmer
air, so it stays near the ground. This is called a temperature inversion. A temperature
inversion can trap air pollution near the surface. Temperature inversions are more
common in the winter.

Questions

1. Identify and describe the troposphere.

2. Explain how temperature changes in the troposphere.

3. Why do convection currents occur in the troposphere?

4. Why do temperature inversions occur? Why do you think they are more common
in the winter?

5. How does a temperature inversion affect air quality?

Lesson 15.3: Multiple Choice

Name___________________ Class______________ Date________

Circle the letter of the correct choice.

1. Earth’s atmosphere is divided into layers based on

a. density.

b. pressure.

c. composition.

d. temperature.

2. The shortest layer of the atmosphere is the

a. exosphere.

b. mesosphere.

c. troposphere.

d. thermosphere.

3. The tropopause prevents cool air in the troposphere from mixing with

a. warm air in the stratosphere.

b. hot air in the thermosphere.

 c. cold air in the mesosphere.

d. cold air in the exosphere.

4. Which sentence about ozone is false?

a. The splitting of ozone molecules warms the mesosphere.

b. Ozone protects Earth’s surface from harmful radiation.

c. A molecule of ozone consists of three oxygen atoms.

d. Ozone molecules absorb ultraviolet light.

5. Temperature decreases as altitude increases in the

a. mesosphere.

b. stratosphere.

c. thermosphere.

d. two of the above

6. The coldest temperatures in the atmosphere occur in the

a. mesopause.

b. tropopause.

c. stratopause.

d. none of the above

7. The International Space Station orbits Earth in the

a. exosphere.

b. mesosphere.

c. stratosphere.

d. thermosphere.

Lesson 15.3: Matching

Name___________________ Class______________ Date________

Match each definition with the correct term.

Definitions
_____ 1. layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere

_____ 2. layer of the atmosphere above the mesosphere

_____ 3. boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere

_____ 4. layer of the atmosphere above the thermosphere

_____ 5. boundary between the stratosphere and mesosphere

_____ 6. lowest layer of the atmosphere

_____ 7. layer of the atmosphere above the stratosphere

Terms

a. exosphere

b. mesosphere

c. stratosphere

d. thermosphere

e. troposphere

f. tropopause

g. stratopause

Lesson 15.3: Fill in the Blank

Name___________________ Class______________ Date________

Fill in the blank with the appropriate term.

1. If cool air stays close to the ground below a layer of warm air, it creates a(n)
__________.

2. A layer of ozone gas is located in the __________.

3. Meteors burn up as they pass through the __________.

4. The northern and southern lights occur in the __________.

5. The top layer of the atmosphere is called the __________.

 6. The densest layer of air in the atmosphere is the ____________.

7. All of Earth’s weather takes place in the __________.

Lesson 15.3: Critical Writing

Name___________________ Class______________ Date________

Thoroughly answer the question below. Use appropriate academic vocabulary and clear
and complete sentences.

What is the ozone layer? Why is it important for living things?

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