ACCT 2000 Chapter : Kimmel 4e 2000 Chapter 18 Student Version
Document Summary
Chapter 4: atmosphere and surface energy balances: energy essentials, energy balance in the troposphere, energy balance at earth"s surface. Transmission: passage of shortwave or long energy through atmosphere or water. Insolation input: all radiation received at earth"s surface direct and indirect. Scattering: changing direction of light"s movement, without altering its wavelengths. Refraction: change in speed and direction of light. Why is the sky blue? why are sunsets/rises red? rayleigh scattering: relates wavelength to the size of molecules or particles that cause scattering. General rule: the shorter the wavelength, the greater the scattering. Shorter wavelengths of visible light (blues and violets) scatter the most. When the sun is at low-altitude, rays travel further through atmosphere, leaving only oranges and reds. As insolation enters atmosphere, passes from empty space into atmospheric gases (changes medium) Causes a change in speed, and thus, a change in direction (bending action. Rainbows: visible light passes through raindrops and is refracted and reflected at precise angles.
