Practice Question

1.State three factors which can affect the temperature of the Earth

1.The rate of absorption of incident radiation

2. The rate of emission of radiation from the Earth

3. The rate of reflection of radiation into space

2. During the day, the temperature of the Earth’s surface increases. Explain why this occurs. 

Short wave radiation from the Sun passes through the Earth’s atmosphere and strikes the surface of the Earth.

If the rate of absorption of this incident radiation by Earth’s surface is greater than the rate of emission of radiation, then the surface of the Earth will increase in temperature. 

3. Explain how the greenhouse effect causes the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere to increase.

Short wave radiation from the Sun passes through the Earth’s atmosphere and strikes the surface of the Earth.

Earth’s surface absorbs some of this energy, emits back long wave Infrared (lower energy). Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb this radiation and then reemit the radiation in all directions. This will trap the energy within Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to greenhouse effect. 

The means that rate of absorptiion by Earth’s atmosphere is greater than the rate of emission from atmosphere, so temperature of atmosphere increases.