The greenhouse effect

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Sunlight arrows in, and infrared arrows going up, back down and out to space.

2. 1.

   What is the natural greenhouse effect, by Ari's reading (NASA)?

   • The ozone layer blocks most sunlight from reaching the ground
   • Gases store heat for good, so heat stops leaving Earth
   • Clouds reflect sunlight back down so each ray lands twice
   • Gases absorb heat from the ground and send some back down
3. 2.

   About what is Earth's average surface temperature with the natural greenhouse effect, by Bo's reading (NASA)?

   • About 15 °C
   • About 5,500 °C
   • About 0 °C
   • About 100 °C
4. 3.

   With no atmosphere, how would Earth's surface compare with today, by Kira's reading (NASA)?

   • Warmer, since air blocks sunlight from the ground
   • About 1 °C colder than today
   • About the same, since the Sun alone sets the temperature
   • More than 30 °C colder than today
6. 4.

   Which gases are transparent to outgoing thermal infrared, by Jun's reading (NASA)?

   • Oxygen and nitrogen
   • Methane and water vapor
   • Water vapor and carbon dioxide
   • Carbon dioxide and methane
7. 5.

   NASA names the atmosphere's most abundant greenhouse gas. Which is it, by Milo's reading?

   Use the picture in question 4.

   • Nitrogen
   • Methane
   • Oxygen
   • Water vapor

8. Use this

   Sunlight arrows in, and infrared arrows going up, back down and out to space.

9. 6.

   Why does Earth's surface give off infrared rather than visible light, by Pia's reading (NASA)?

   • Greenhouse gases paint the ground a darker color
   • It is hotter than the surface of the Sun
   • Its infrared is sunlight reflected off clouds
   • It is far cooler than the Sun, about 15 °C
10. 7.

    Which energy do greenhouse gases mostly absorb, by Ren's reading (NASA)?

    • Radio waves arriving from space
    • Outgoing thermal infrared from the surface
    • Sound waves rising from the ground
    • Most visible sunlight, before it reaches land

11. Energy flows as a share of incoming sunlight (NASA)

    Flow	Share of incoming sunlight
    Reflected to space	29%
    Absorbed by the atmosphere	23%
    Absorbed by the surface	48%
    Infrared up from the surface	117%
    Infrared back down to the surface	100%
    Infrared from the surface straight to space	12%
    Infrared from the atmosphere to space	59%

12. 8.

    Using the table, what share of incoming sunlight does Earth's surface absorb, by Tala's reading (NASA)?

    • About 29%
    • About 48%
    • About 117%
    • About 23%
13. 9.

    Using the table, how much infrared does the atmosphere send back down to the surface, by Zee's reading (NASA)?

    • About 29% of incoming sunlight
    • About 100% of incoming sunlight
    • About 12% of incoming sunlight
    • About 59% of incoming sunlight
14. 10.

    Using the table, what share of incoming sunlight is reflected and plays no part in warming, by Esme's reading (NASA)?

    • About 48%
    • About 71%
    • About 100%
    • About 29%