Difference between revisions of "Atmosphere"
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The '''atmosphere''' is the mass of air surrounding a [[planet]].<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Physical Science''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref> | The '''atmosphere''' is the mass of air surrounding a [[planet]].<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Physical Science''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref> | ||
| − | The earth's atmosphere insulates the earth's surface, making it around | + | The earth's atmosphere insulates the earth's surface, making it around 33 degrees [[Celsius]] (59 degrees [[Fahrenheit]]) warmer than it would be without any air.<ref>''Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and the Environment'', by C. Donald Ahrens, West Publishing Company, 1988</ref> This occurs through absorption of outgoing [[infrared rays]] by gas molecules like water vapor, [[carbon dioxide]], and [[methane]]. This warming is known as the ''[[greenhouse effect]]''. |
==Other Uses== | ==Other Uses== | ||
Revision as of 22:06, February 1, 2009
The atmosphere is the mass of air surrounding a planet.[1]
The earth's atmosphere insulates the earth's surface, making it around 33 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than it would be without any air.[2] This occurs through absorption of outgoing infrared rays by gas molecules like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane. This warming is known as the greenhouse effect.
Other Uses
The term atmosphere is also a unit of pressure. One atmosphere (atm) is defined as 101,325 Pa, which is equal to approximately 14.7 pounds per square inch. This number was determined by finding the average pressure exerted on the earth by a column of air at sea level.