atmosphere layers lab - LS Home Page

Layers of the atmosphere activity
Name:_______________________
Block:_____
The earth's atmosphere is 100km thick and is broken into 4 layers due to differences in composition and
temperature. In this activity you will investigate the changes and try to figure out why the te,pmerature
changes the way it does.
Make a graph of altitude on the y axis and temperature on the x axis. The altitude range should go from 0
to 150km. The temperature range should go from -100 to +300°C. Then plot the following points and
connect them with a solid line as you go. Use a ruler.
Altitude Temperature Altitude Temperature
0 17 70 -60
5 -26 80 -90
10 -55 90 -90
12 -58 100 -78
15 -58 110 -32
20 -58 120 87
25 -52 130 113
30 -47 140 139
35 -35 150 165
40 -23 160 191
45 -10 170 217
48 -2 180 243
52 -2 190 269
55 -10 200 295
60 -28
The layers of the atmosphere are called the troposphere=layer closest to earth; stratosphere, mesosphere,
and thermosphere. The boundaries of these layers are called pauses---the places where the temperatures
stopped decreasing or increasing.
1. Find the first place above the surface the temperature stayed the same. Label this spot as the tropopause.
Between the surface and the tropopause is the troposphere. Color the troposphere red.
2. Find the second place above the surface that the temperature stayed constant. Label this the stratopause.
The altitudes between the stratopause and the tropopause contains the stratosphere. Color the
stratosphere yellow.
3. The last place the temperature stopped changing is called the Mesopause. Label it.
4. The altitudes beween the mesopause and stratopause is the mesosphere. is called the Mesosphere. Color
the mesosphere green. The area above the mesopause is the thermosphere. Color it Blue.
5. Make two horizontal lines. One at 38km and another at 50km. Label the portion in between the two
lines as the ozone layer.
6. Clouds form between 1 and 10km above the surface. Label this “weather”

Answer the following (use your textbook to assist!)
1. Based on your graph, what would be the approximate temperature of the air at the top
of Mount Washington (about 1.9 km). ________ What layer of the atmosphere is this
_________________
2. What would be the temperature outside of an airplane at 9km? _____________ What
layer is this in? _______________
3. What layer would be responsible for our weather?__________________________
4. At what altitude is the coldest air? _____________________What layer is
this?______________________
5. Which layer is the thinnest? __________________What is its thickness?___________
6. Which layer is thickest?_____________________What is its thickness?
7. 99% of all air is found between 0 and 32km. What layer has the most air?
8. The melting point of lead is around 300 degrees C. Which layer gets hot enough to
melt lead?
9. What happens to the temperature in the troposphere? ________________________
WHY does this happen? Use your book to help. ___________
10. What happens to the temperature in the stratosphere? WHY?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_
11. What is the composition (what gases make up) of the thermosphere (use your book)?
_________________ and
. How does the composition affect
the temperature of this layer?
________________________________________________________________________
12. Knowing that only long wave radiation of the electromagnetic spectrum reaches
earth’s surface, what kinds of rays of the electromagnetic spectrum are most likely
absorbed in the thermosphere?
________________ _____________________ and .

13. Why d you think the mesosphere decreases in temperature with altitude?
14. Calculate the average drop in temperature for the first 12 km of Earth’s atmosphere.
Show how you are setting up your calculation.
15 Make a chart listing the four layers use your book and this activity to summarize the
key characteristics of each
Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere