GEOG 155 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Nitrogen Fixation, Atmospheric Railway, Molecular Mass
Document Summary
Weather: short-term conditions of the restless atmospheric system that impinge on daily human activities. Climate: long-term conditions of aggregate weather over a region, summarized by averages and measures of variability. Three of gases in the list are chemical compounds (co2, water vapor, and methane) Chemical compounds: to be a chemical compound, at least two different elements combine to form a single molecule: element: most basic form (can"t be broken down into other things, on periodic table) Chemical reactions: transform gases into new chemicals. Some occur spontaneously, others require energy source. Photochemical reactions: reactions where sunlight is the required energy. Atoms are the basic building blocks of elements: can be broken into three parts. Electrons: molecular weight of an element is determined by the number of protons and neutrons in the element. Isotopes: various forms (different molecular weights) of an element. How can we describe the quantity of any given atmospheric component: recognize the atmosphere has a certain mass and weight.
