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6th grade The layers of the air worksheet

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The layers of the air

Grade 6 Science Worksheet

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1.
Ari lists the layers from the ground up. Which list is in the right order?
- Troposphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, mesosphere, exosphere
- Stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
- Troposphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
- Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
2.
Which layer lies between the stratosphere and the thermosphere, Bo?
- Exosphere
- Troposphere
- Mesosphere
- Ozone layer
3.
Which layer is the outermost one, fading away into space, Esme?
- Stratosphere
- Mesosphere
- Thermosphere
- Exosphere
Read this first
Use this
Cross-section of the atmosphere, not to scale.
4.
Using the cross-section, about how high is the top of layer B, Jun?
- About 10,000 km
- About 50 km
- About 80 to 85 km
- About 10 to 12 km
5.
A weather balloon climbs above the clouds to about 35 km before it bursts. Which layer is it in then, Kira?
Use the picture in question 4.
- Stratosphere
- Thermosphere
- Troposphere
- Mesosphere
6.
A small research rocket samples the air about 70 km up. Which layer is that, Luz?
Use the picture in question 4.
- Stratosphere (layer B)
- Mesosphere (layer C)
- Exosphere (layer E)
- Thermosphere (layer D)
7.
A weather balloon carries a thermometer up through the stratosphere. What happens to the air temperature around it, Milo?
- It stays at 0 °C
- It falls to the coldest on Earth
- It rises
- It falls, as in the troposphere
8.
Brrr! Near the top of which layer is the coldest air in the atmosphere, Noah?
- Mesosphere: about −85 to −90 °C
- Troposphere, as it touches the ground
- Thermosphere, as it is higher up
- Exosphere, as it is the highest
9.
Astronauts live on the International Space Station. In which layer does the station orbit, Tala?
- Thermosphere
- Troposphere
- The ozone layer
- Mesosphere
10.
Noctilucent clouds, the highest clouds of all, glow after sunset near the poles. In which layer do they form, Zee?
- Exosphere
- Troposphere, where most clouds form
- Mesosphere
- Stratosphere

6th grade The layers of the air worksheet – printable — Print: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

The layers of the air. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

I can name the five layers in order from the ground up.
I can read how temperature changes with height: falls, rises, falls, rises.
I can say where weather, the ozone layer, meteors and the space station are, and explain why the air is thinner higher up.

Standard: none (IXL parity)

Words to know

atmosphere: The blanket of gases around Earth

troposphere: The lowest layer, where we live and almost all weather happens

stratosphere: The next layer up, holding the ozone layer; it warms with height

mesosphere: The middle layer, where most meteors burn up; coldest near its top

thermosphere: A very thin, very hot layer where the space station orbits

exosphere: The outermost layer, fading into space

Common mistakes

Your child mixed up the order of the air's layers. From the ground up: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere. Try a made-up sentence with the first letters, T-S-M-T-E.

Your child expected the air to get colder all the way up. It cools through the troposphere, then warms in the stratosphere, cools in the mesosphere and warms in the thermosphere. Try tracing the zigzag on a drawing together.

Your child put something in the wrong layer. Weather is in the troposphere, the ozone layer in the stratosphere, most meteors burn up in the mesosphere, and the space station orbits in the thermosphere.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with the layers of the air?

Your child mixed up the order of the air's layers. From the ground up: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere. Try a made-up sentence with the first letters, T-S-M-T-E.

Are these 6th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 6 science

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