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Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Identify the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere and their key features. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Which noble gas is the third most abundant gas in dry air (about 0.93%): argon or neon?
0.93% · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
2. Which outermost fringe of the atmosphere gradually merges into outer space: the exosphere or the troposphere?
Which outermost fringe of … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
3. Why is the natural greenhouse effect important for life on Earth: it keeps Earth’s average surface temperature warm enough for liquid water, or it blocks all sunlight?
Why is the natural greenho… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
4. In which atmospheric layer above the stratosphere (50–85 km) do most meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere: the mesosphere or the troposphere?
50 · 85 km · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
5. Why is carbon monoxide (CO) from incomplete fuel combustion dangerous in enclosed spaces: it binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood, or it freezes rooms?
Why is carbon monoxide (CO… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
6. What happens to ocean pH when seawater absorbs excess atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid: ocean acidification (pH decreases), or water turns into oil?
What happens to ocean pH w… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
7. What happens to the density of air when it is heated at constant pressure: warm air expands and becomes less dense (so it rises), or it becomes heavier than rock?
What happens to the densit… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
8. What do we call the day-to-day state of the atmosphere at a specific place and time, whereas the 30-year average pattern is climate: weather or geology?
30 · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
9. What happens to air pressure as you climb higher up a mountain (increasing altitude): air pressure decreases, or air pressure doubles?
What happens to air pressu… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
10. Which layer of the atmosphere lies directly above the troposphere and contains the protective ozone layer: the stratosphere or the exosphere?
Which layer of the atmosph… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
11. Which three gases are the main greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere: water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane, or nitrogen, oxygen and argon?
Which three gases are the … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
12. What term describes the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected back into space by bright surfaces like snow, ice and clouds: albedo or viscosity?
What term describes the fr… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Which noble gas is the third most abundant gas in dry air (about 0.93%): argon or neon?
Argon
Argon makes up about 0.93% of dry air.
2. Which outermost fringe of the atmosphere gradually merges into outer space: the exosphere or the troposphere?
Exosphere
The exosphere is the uppermost atmospheric layer where gas molecules are extremely sparse.
3. Why is the natural greenhouse effect important for life on Earth: it keeps Earth’s average surface temperature warm enough for liquid water, or it blocks all sunlight?
It keeps Earth’s average surface temperature warm enough for liquid water
Without natural greenhouse gases, Earth’s average temperature would be below freezing (around −18 °C).
4. In which atmospheric layer above the stratosphere (50–85 km) do most meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere: the mesosphere or the troposphere?
Mesosphere
Air friction in the mesosphere vaporises most incoming meteoroids as shooting stars.
5. Why is carbon monoxide (CO) from incomplete fuel combustion dangerous in enclosed spaces: it binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood, or it freezes rooms?
It binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless toxic gas that blocks oxygen delivery.
6. What happens to ocean pH when seawater absorbs excess atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid: ocean acidification (pH decreases), or water turns into oil?
Ocean acidification (pH decreases)
Dissolved CO₂ forms carbonic acid, lowering ocean pH and making it harder for corals to build skeletons.
7. What happens to the density of air when it is heated at constant pressure: warm air expands and becomes less dense (so it rises), or it becomes heavier than rock?
Warm air expands and becomes less dense (so it rises)
Heating increases molecular spacing, lowering density and driving thermal convection.
8. What do we call the day-to-day state of the atmosphere at a specific place and time, whereas the 30-year average pattern is climate: weather or geology?
Weather
Weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions; climate describes long-term averages.
9. What happens to air pressure as you climb higher up a mountain (increasing altitude): air pressure decreases, or air pressure doubles?
Air pressure decreases
At higher altitudes there is less overlying air column above you, so atmospheric pressure is lower.
10. Which layer of the atmosphere lies directly above the troposphere and contains the protective ozone layer: the stratosphere or the exosphere?
Stratosphere
The stratosphere extends from the tropopause to about 50 km altitude and houses the ozone layer.
11. Which three gases are the main greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere: water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane, or nitrogen, oxygen and argon?
Water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane
Triatomic and polyatomic gases like H₂O, CO₂ and CH₄ absorb and re-emit infrared radiation.
12. What term describes the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected back into space by bright surfaces like snow, ice and clouds: albedo or viscosity?
Albedo
Fresh snow and ice have high albedo (reflecting most sunlight), whereas dark ocean water has low albedo.

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Which noble gas is the third most abundant gas in dry air (about 0.93%): argon or neon?
0.93% · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
2. Which outermost fringe of the atmosphere gradually merges into outer space: the exosphere or the troposphere?
Which outermost fringe of … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
3. Why is the natural greenhouse effect important for life on Earth: it keeps Earth’s average surface temperature warm enough for liquid water, or it blocks all sunlight?
Why is the natural greenho… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
4. In which atmospheric layer above the stratosphere (50–85 km) do most meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere: the mesosphere or the troposphere?
50 · 85 km · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
5. Why is carbon monoxide (CO) from incomplete fuel combustion dangerous in enclosed spaces: it binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood, or it freezes rooms?
Why is carbon monoxide (CO… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
6. What happens to ocean pH when seawater absorbs excess atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid: ocean acidification (pH decreases), or water turns into oil?
What happens to ocean pH w… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
7. What happens to the density of air when it is heated at constant pressure: warm air expands and becomes less dense (so it rises), or it becomes heavier than rock?
What happens to the densit… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
8. What do we call the day-to-day state of the atmosphere at a specific place and time, whereas the 30-year average pattern is climate: weather or geology?
30 · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
9. What happens to air pressure as you climb higher up a mountain (increasing altitude): air pressure decreases, or air pressure doubles?
What happens to air pressu… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
10. Which layer of the atmosphere lies directly above the troposphere and contains the protective ozone layer: the stratosphere or the exosphere?
Which layer of the atmosph… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
11. Which three gases are the main greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere: water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane, or nitrogen, oxygen and argon?
Which three gases are the … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
12. What term describes the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected back into space by bright surfaces like snow, ice and clouds: albedo or viscosity?
What term describes the fr… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Which noble gas is the third most abundant gas in dry air (about 0.93%): argon or neon?
Argon
Argon makes up about 0.93% of dry air.
2. Which outermost fringe of the atmosphere gradually merges into outer space: the exosphere or the troposphere?
Exosphere
The exosphere is the uppermost atmospheric layer where gas molecules are extremely sparse.
3. Why is the natural greenhouse effect important for life on Earth: it keeps Earth’s average surface temperature warm enough for liquid water, or it blocks all sunlight?
It keeps Earth’s average surface temperature warm enough for liquid water
Without natural greenhouse gases, Earth’s average temperature would be below freezing (around −18 °C).
4. In which atmospheric layer above the stratosphere (50–85 km) do most meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere: the mesosphere or the troposphere?
Mesosphere
Air friction in the mesosphere vaporises most incoming meteoroids as shooting stars.
5. Why is carbon monoxide (CO) from incomplete fuel combustion dangerous in enclosed spaces: it binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood, or it freezes rooms?
It binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless toxic gas that blocks oxygen delivery.
6. What happens to ocean pH when seawater absorbs excess atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid: ocean acidification (pH decreases), or water turns into oil?
Ocean acidification (pH decreases)
Dissolved CO₂ forms carbonic acid, lowering ocean pH and making it harder for corals to build skeletons.
7. What happens to the density of air when it is heated at constant pressure: warm air expands and becomes less dense (so it rises), or it becomes heavier than rock?
Warm air expands and becomes less dense (so it rises)
Heating increases molecular spacing, lowering density and driving thermal convection.
8. What do we call the day-to-day state of the atmosphere at a specific place and time, whereas the 30-year average pattern is climate: weather or geology?
Weather
Weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions; climate describes long-term averages.
9. What happens to air pressure as you climb higher up a mountain (increasing altitude): air pressure decreases, or air pressure doubles?
Air pressure decreases
At higher altitudes there is less overlying air column above you, so atmospheric pressure is lower.
10. Which layer of the atmosphere lies directly above the troposphere and contains the protective ozone layer: the stratosphere or the exosphere?
Stratosphere
The stratosphere extends from the tropopause to about 50 km altitude and houses the ozone layer.
11. Which three gases are the main greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere: water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane, or nitrogen, oxygen and argon?
Water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane
Triatomic and polyatomic gases like H₂O, CO₂ and CH₄ absorb and re-emit infrared radiation.
12. What term describes the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected back into space by bright surfaces like snow, ice and clouds: albedo or viscosity?
Albedo
Fresh snow and ice have high albedo (reflecting most sunlight), whereas dark ocean water has low albedo.

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification