Physics · Geography

Atmospheric Physics and Humidity

935 Questions

Study the principles of atmospheric physics and humidity through these practice questions. Key subjects include the rate of evaporation, temperature inversions, and relative humidity measurements. These concepts are vital for geography and physics exams.

Evaporation and condensationRelative humidity conceptsAtmospheric pressure effectsTemperature inversion

Atmospheric Physics and Humidity Questions

Multiple choice

Amount of moisture in the air is called ______

  1. humidity

  2. climate

  3. rancidity

  4. rain
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Humidity is the measure of water vapor present in the air. Climate refers to long-term weather patterns, not instantaneous moisture content. Rancidity refers to food spoilage, and rain is liquid precipitation, not water vapor in the atmosphere.

Multiple choice

Which of the following best explains the word ‘cloud’?

  1. Densely accumulated mixture of gases in the atmosphere

  2. Visible mass of liquid droplets suspended in the atmosphere

  3. Suspended particles in air assemble together to form a white or black mass

  4. Gathering of various chemicals in air at one place for reacting with each other and releasing water
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Cloud is the visible mass of liquid droplets made of water and various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. 

Multiple choice

Why condensation on a glass window is an unwanted phenomenon?

  1. It causes fungal diseases.

  2. It interferes with clear view from the window.

  3. It changes the room temperature significantly.

  4. It affects the glamorous look of the interior.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Condensation is undesirable on windows mainly because it is one of the major causes of respiratory infections by fungi. 

Multiple choice

Which of the following produces water vapour?

  1. Refrigeration of water

  2. Bursting of a balloon

  3. Sublimation of ice

  4. Spraying perfume on a fabric

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Vapour is the gaseous phase of water. The major sources of vapour are boiling, evaporation, and sublimation. 

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

  1. A body will weigh less in air than in vacuum, when weighed with a spring balance.
  2. When a barometer is taken to a mine, the height of mercury column increases.

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

  1. Only (1)

  2. Only (2)

  3. Both (1) & (2)

  4. Neither (1) nor (2)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

(i) Statement (1) is correct. Body will weigh more in vacuum as there is no up thrust in vacuum. In air, the air column offers an up thrust and so there is an apparent loss of weight when weighed in air. (ii) Statement (2) is correct. When a barometer is taken to a mine the pressure increases. In a mine, the gases present are denser so the pressure is more. Hence, the height of mercury column increases.

Multiple choice

Acclimatization

Directions: Some words in the passage below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

These two factors, the altitude and the weather, tend separately and together to defeat the climber. The height weakness slows him down; it forces him to­ spend days and nights in the course of his assault on the summit. The weather, besides adding to the ­demands of his energy and moral fortitude, conspires to deny him the time he needs to complete his mission. Whereas in lower mountains and on easy ground the weather may be no more than a handicap, in the high Himalayas it is decisive, regardless of terrain. The deduction to be drawn from these two factors was clear enough. We must either so fortify ourselves , that we could continue, without detriment, to live and have our being above the limit of natural acclimatization, better still, we must solve the problem of speed. It was desirable, in fact, that we should meet both these requirements and thus give to those chosen to attempt the summit, some measure of insurance against ­the vagaries of the weather.

  1. Accommodation

  2. Adaptation

  3. Rooting

  4. Grounding
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'Acclimatization' refers to the physiological process of becoming adapted to a new climate or environment. In the context, the author speaks about living 'above the limit of natural acclimatization' - meaning beyond the body's natural ability to adapt to high altitudes. 'Adaptation' (Option B) correctly captures this meaning of adjusting to environmental conditions.

Multiple choice

In a cold day the smoke spreads in a flat layer above the icy cold river rather than rising and dissipating into the atmosphere. It is due to

  1. the decrease in temperature

  2. the increase in temperature

  3. the inversion of temperature

  4. rapid and sudden fall in tempreture over the river.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The atmosphere above a icy cold river depicts inversion of temperature with warm air at the top and cold air near the surface of the river. Warm moist air does rise above a river but expands and cools down and as condensation occurs the air becomes denser and it sinks to lower levels with warm air at the top. If the rising smoke is denser than the upper warm air, it is not able to rise further but spreads out in flat layers.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

  1. At night, sea water cools down more slowly than land and cool air from the land moves towards the sea. This is called the night breeze.
  2. If two identical spheres of the same radius R, out of which one is hollow containing air and the other is solid are heated at the same temparature, the change in dimensions of the spheres will be same in both the spheres.

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

  1. Only (1)

  2. Only (2)

  3. Both (1) and (2)

  4. Neither (1) nor (2)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Statement (1) is incorrect. At night the sea water cools down more slowly than the land and the cool air from the land moves towards the sea. This is called the land breeze, not night breeze. Statement (2) is incorrect. Air being a bad conductor of heat compared to the metallic sphere which is a good conductor, the maximum heat is utilized in expanding the metallic part. In case of solid, the change in radius will be greater due to the metallic substance present in it.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

  1. At high altitudes, nose bleeding occurs because the pressure of air inside our body is more as compared to atmospheric pressure.
  2. Naphthalene balls disappear with time without leaving any solid due to sublimation.

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

  1. Only (1)

  2. Only (2)

  3. Both (1) and (2)

  4. Neither (1) nor (2)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Statement (1) is correct. At higher altitudes, nose bleeding occurs because at higher altitudes, the atmospheric pressure decreases as a result the blood vessels of nose burst and cause bleeding. Statement (2) is correct. Sublimation is the process of conversion of solid directly into gaseous state. Therefore, Naphthalene balls disappear with time without leaving any solid.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. Higher the altitude, higher is the pressure, more the depth, lesser is the pressure.

  2. Higher the altitude, lesser is the pressure, more the depth, more is the pressure.

  3. Higher the altitude, lesser is the pressure, more the depth, lesser is the pressure.

  4. Higher the altitude, lesser is the pressure, lesser the depth, lesser is the pressure.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Higher the altitude, lesser is the pressure, more the depth, more is the pressure. 

Multiple choice

Tube of a bicycle gets inflated when the air is filled in it. Why does this happen?

  1. Air is light

  2. Air flows anywhere

  3. Air exerts pressure

  4. Air expands on heating

  5. All of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Tube of a bicycle gets inflated when the air is filled with it. This happens because air exerts pressure. Air exerts pressure because it is a matter and occupies space and has mass. Since, air is a mixture of different molecules they are pushed together causing pressure with each other.