Earth's Energy Budget Worksheet
Explore the Earth's energy budget, including incoming solar radiation, absorption, reflection, and re-emission of energy, and its impact on climate.
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Earth's Energy Budget Worksheet
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Read each question carefully and provide thorough answers. Use your knowledge of Earth's energy budget to complete the tasks.
1. Approximately what percentage of incoming solar radiation is reflected back into space by the Earth's atmosphere and surface?
10%
30%
50%
70%
2. The process by which the Earth's atmosphere traps some of the sun's energy, warming the planet, is known as the .
3. Incoming solar radiation is primarily in the form of radiation, while the Earth re-emits energy as radiation.
4. Explain the concept of albedo and provide two examples of surfaces with high albedo and two with low albedo.
5. A stable Earth's energy budget means that the amount of incoming solar radiation is equal to the amount of energy re-emitted back into space.
True
False
Match the term with its correct definition.
6. Greenhouse effect
a. The reflectivity of a surface
7. Albedo
b. Trapping of heat by atmospheric gases
8. Infrared radiation
c. Energy re-emitted by Earth
9. Discuss how human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, can impact Earth's energy budget and contribute to climate change.