PHS119 MIDTERM EXAM
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This midterm exam was completed individually by me. I did not receive nor did I give unauthorized assistance during the taking of this exam.
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Student Name
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1. (8pts) Is the atmospheric “greenhouse effect” bad for us and for our planet? Explain your answer. The greenhouse effect allows the sun’s radiation to get to Earth and absorbs some of the infrared radiation from Earth. Without the greenhouse effect, we would release too much infrared energy which would cause our planet to freeze. Greenhouse gases actually occur naturally and they are good for …show more content…

Water vapor is also a greenhouse gas so it also plays a role in keeping the Earth warm. The water vapor plays the most significant role when we talk about it reaching its condensation point and can fall as precipitation such as rain, hail, sleet, etc.
b. carbon dioxide (CO2): Carbon dioxide is another greenhouse gas. It does occur naturally however it has been expedited by human activities. Too much carbon dioxide in the air has the ability to warm the environment, hence why people link it to global warming and the potential to cause a climate shift.
c. nitrogen gas (N2): Nitrogen gas is not a greenhouse gas but effects the weather in a different way. Nitrogen has the ability to oxide with water vapor

when it is lightening outside. The Nitrogen oxide can concentrate in the lower atmosphere which is an indicator of tropospheric ozone.
6. (8pts) Draw a typical 24-hour air temperature variation for:
a. a clear day (solid line)
b. an overcast day (dashed line)
Your graph will display ‘time’ on the x-axis, and ‘air temperature’ on the y-axis.
Assume sunrise at 6 a.m. and sunset at 6 p.m. [local times], and that no weather fronts pass through during the 24-hour time period. Specifically highlight the approximate time of maximum air temperature and approximate time of minimum air temperature.
Be sure to draw both the clear day and