Game on the layers of the atmosphere online

Check out this quiz game on the layers of the atmosphere online for students in 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grades. It is an interactive fun game featuring fighters on a mediaval castal aiming and shooting at each other. To beat your opponent, you need to answer as many questions as possible correctly. The interactions in this game are great review tools for classrooms and homeschool. Learn about the characteristics of the atmosphere based on pressure, component in terms of gasses and density. Learn the role the ozone layer plays in protecting humans against harmful U.V. raditions from the sun. Also learn about the mesosphere and its role in protecting us again meteor strikes. Have fun and remember to share thing game in your school.

 

Layers of the atmosphere Facts

The layers of the atmosphere are composed of gasses. Air pressure decreases as one goes up in altitude, so too does temperature. The Ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This article covers these layers and their functions. Be you an astronomer or a curious student of science, you can benefit from this basic overview of our atmosphere. 

Air pressure decreases with altitude

You have probably heard that air pressure decreases with increasing altitude. The reason is that as altitude increases, the weight and density of air molecules decreases. When we are near the ground, the air molecules carry the weight and gravitational pull of the center of the earth. As we ascend, this effect is negated. At higher altitudes, the weight of the air molecules is distributed over a larger volume.

As altitude increases, the atmosphere becomes less dense, resulting in less compression of the air molecules. This phenomenon is called atmospheric pressure, and it is important to know how air density changes. Air at higher elevations is colder than that below, which means it has a lower density than air at lower altitudes. Air density is also affected by weather systems. Areas with low air density are more likely to experience storms.

Temperature increases with height

The uppermost layer of the atmosphere is called the thermosphere. Its temperature increases with altitude as it absorbs solar radiation and other ultraviolet rays. Temperatures in the thermosphere can range from 500 to 2,000 C, depending on the time of day and the intensity of solar activity. This layer is also called the ionosphere because the high-energy radiation from the sun ionizes the particles. The temperature in this layer is also where auroras are observed.

The stratosphere is separated from the lower part of the thermosphere by an annular structure known as the stratopause. Temperatures in the mesosphere decrease with increasing altitude because vertical air currents are not as restricted in the upper part of the stratosphere. In winter, noctilucent clouds also form in the upper part of the troposphere.

Ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet radiation

The ozone layer is a thin, extremely rare film that protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet rays. This layer is located between 10 and 50 km in the stratosphere, but is only three millimeters thick at the surface. This thin layer absorbs the higher energy wavelengths of ultraviolet light, including the ultraviolet B band (UVB). However, some ultraviolet light is still able to reach the ground and when it does, it can damage our cells. In contrast, the ozone layer does not absorb the lower frequency UVA band that is visible to us.

The ozone layer also blocks UV radiation from the sun with a wavelength of less than 290 nm. This makes it possible to protect your skin from sunburn and damage while outdoors. The ozone layer also blocks certain forms of ultraviolet radiation that can harm living things.

Mesosphere protects Earth from meteors

The mesosphere protects us from asteroids and meteors by burning them. The low temperature and thin atmosphere of the mesosphere prevent these falling objects from harming the Earth. It is the coldest part of the atmosphere and can freeze water vapor into ice clouds. 

The mesosphere is located 85 km above the Earth. As the third layer of the atmosphere, the mesosphere is the coldest and acts like the force field of a Crusader. During meteor showers, you can watch spectacular light shows for a few minutes, covering a distance of 31 miles. However, there are certain conditions that can cause meteor showers to be unpredictable. Normally, meteors fall into the mesosphere and burn up.

Troposphere is the densest layer

At the lowest level, the atmosphere is called the troposphere. This layer is often characterized by smog, which irritates the throat and eyes, especially in polluted areas. Pollutants accumulate near the surface under the inversion layer, which is the layer of air where the temperature does not decrease with altitude. These pollutants undergo chemical reactions, and the smog prevents them from escaping into the upper atmosphere. Heat transfer occurs in the troposphere by advection and convection.

The troposphere is the source of most of the Earth's weather. It is also the wettest layer of the atmosphere. The air in this layer is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and the remaining 1% trace gasses. This layer contains almost exclusively water vapor. Its content decreases with increasing altitude, but is highest near the Earth's surface.