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)?

   • Clouds reflect sunlight back down so each ray lands twice
   • Gases store heat for good, so heat stops leaving Earth
   • The ozone layer blocks most sunlight from reaching the ground
   • 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 100 °C
   • About 15 °C
   • About 0 °C
   • About 5,500 °C
4. 3.

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

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

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

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

   Which list names three greenhouse gases, by Luz's reading (NASA)?

   Use the picture in question 4.

   • Nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide
   • Oxygen, nitrogen and argon in the air
   • Helium, neon and oxygen
   • Water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane

8. Use this

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

9. 6.

   Sunlight arrives mostly as visible and near-infrared light. What does Earth's surface give off, by Noah's reading (NASA)?

   • Nothing, since the ground just absorbs light
   • Visible light, like the Sun gives off
   • Ultraviolet light, brighter than sunlight
   • Thermal infrared (heat)
10. 7.

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

    • It is far cooler than the Sun, about 15 °C
    • It is hotter than the surface of the Sun
    • Its infrared is sunlight reflected off clouds
    • Greenhouse gases paint the ground a darker color
11. 8.

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

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

12. 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%

13. 9.

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

    • About 29%
    • About 48%
    • About 23%
    • About 117%
14. 10.

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

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