The Atmosphere

Atmosphere - A blanket of air that surrounds the Earth.

What do you think air is made of? Air is made up of gases: 78% nitrogen 21% oxygen 1% trace gases (a combination of several gases)

Fun Fact About Oxygen Would air that is 100% oxygen be better for us? We require oxygen to breathe but we breathe air that is made up of only 21% oxygen. Would air that is 100% oxygen be better for us? Actually 100% oxygen can be harmful. It can cause nausea, dizziness and chest pains.

How Earth’s Atmosphere Compares to our neighbors

The atmosphere is divided into four distinct layers. Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere The upper layer of the atmosphere, the exosphere, is the layer beyond the thermosphere that includes space.

Instructions For each layer: -Write an object found in that layer Write it’s altitude in kilometers Write it’s temperature range Color it based on the designated color

COLOR RED Troposphere Height: Extends to 0-10KM Contains: People Weather Buildings Bad Ozone Temperature: 18*C—60*C COLOR RED

Stratosphere Color Yellow Height: Extends from 10-50Km Contains: Flying Planes Weather Balloons Good Ozone Temperature: -60*C-0*C Color Yellow

Mesosphere Color Green Coldest Layer Height: Extends from 50-80km Contains: Meteors Coldest Layer Temperature: 0*C—90*C Color Green

Color BLUE Thermosphere Height: Extends from 80-400km Contains: Auroras (Northern Lights) Space Shuttle Orbits Hottest Layer Temp: -90*C-90*C Color BLUE

Exosphere Height: Sub layer that extends from about 400 km and up. Temp: 90*C- 1,700*C HOTTEST SUB LAYER Contains: Space Some satellites Color Black