Planetary Atmosphere worksheet.docx

pdf

School

Clemson University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

103

Subject

Physics

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

pdf

Pages

Uploaded by UltraKoalaMaster900

Planetary Atmosphere Worksheet These lab activities have evolved over many years of use in Clemson University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy general astronomy laboratory. Contributors include, in chronological order, Tom Collins, Mark Leising, Neil Miller, Peter Milne, Grant Williams, Donna Mullenax, Jessica Crist, Keith Davis, Amber Porter, Steven Bromley, and David Connick. Please direct all questions, complaints, and corrections to David Connick (dconnic@clemson.edu) who is responsible for all errors and omissions. Student Name: __________Carson Davis_____________Section: __1030_ For the following questions, use the equations given in the instruction document to do the calculation and answer the questions. You may use trial and error, a range of values in a spreadsheet, or algebra! For any question where you use an equation be sure to give the equation (the number from the instructions is acceptable) and the values of the variables that you plugged into the equation. Every question should have complete sentence answers. 1) What is the velocity of a hydrogen molecule in a planet’s atmosphere at 1 AU from the Sun? (remember to provide the equations you use and the numbers you plug into the equation) The velocity of a hydrogen molecule at 1 AU from the sun is 2262.7417 m/s. I found this by doing 160 times the square root of (400/2). This equation… 2) Can the Earth hold onto an atmosphere of hydrogen? Explain why or why not. No the Earth can not hold onto an atmosphere of hydrogen because the escape velocity is multiplied by 1/6 and which gives you 1,866.667. That is less than the Vgas which is 160 times the square root of (400/2), giving you 2,262.7417 m/s.

I used and formulas. 3) What is the velocity of a nitrogen molecule at 1 AU? The velocity of a nitrogen molecule at 1 AU is 604.7432 m/s. I found this by doing 160 times the square root of (400/28). 4) Can the Earth hold onto an atmosphere of nitrogen? Explain why or why not. Yes, the Earth can hold onto an atmosphere of nitrogen because the Vgas of 604.7432 m/s (I found this by doing 160 times the square root of (400/28) is less than the escape velocity multiplied by 1/6 which is 1866.667 m/s. 5) Estimate how far the Moon would have to be from the Sun before it would be cool enough to retain a nitrogen atmosphere. Nitrogen atmosphere is Vgas = 604.7432 m/s because Vgas = ⅙ Vescape and T = (Vgas/160)^2 M. Mass. So I solved for T getting T = 400.0001 K. The Moon would have to be 1 AU from the Sun before it would be cool enough to retain a nitrogen atmosphere. 6) What gasses from Table 3 could Mars retain in its atmosphere? - Mars = ( ⅙ )escape velocity - Mars = 833.33 m/s - Vgas < ( ⅙ )escape velocity of Mars - Vgas < 833.33 m/s - T = 326 K - Hydrogen: 2042.74 m/s…cannot retain - Methane: 680.91 m/s…can retain - Ammonia: 700.66 m/s…can retain - Water: 680.91 m/s…can retain - Nitrogen: 545.95 m/s … can retain - Carbon Dioxide: 435.51 m/s …can retain 7) What gasses from Table 3 could Ceres retain? Ceres = ( ⅙ )escape velocity Ceres = 85 m/s T = 239 K Hydrogen: 21749.06 m/s… cannot retain Methane: 618.38 m/s… cannot retain

Ammonia: 599.92 m/s…cannot retain Water: 583.02 m/s … cannot retain Nitrogen: 467.46 m/s … cannot retain Carbon Dioxide: 372.9 m/s … cannot retain 8) Jupiter formed at and currently orbits at a distance of about 5 AU from the Sun. Could Jupiter hold onto an atmosphere of hydrogen molecules if you moved it to 0.5 AU from the Sun? Yes, Jupiter could hold onto an atmosphere of hydrogen molecules if you moved it to 0.5 Au because the escape velocity is 9916.667… m/s ( ⅙ times 59500) is greater than the Velocity of the gas 2693.216 m/s (160 times the square root of 566K/2amu) 9) Given what you currently know about the formation of the planets in the Solar System, could Jupiter have formed at 0.5 AU from the Sun? Explain your answer. Based on the formation of the planets in the Solar System, Jupiter could have formed at 0.5 AU from the Sun because Jupiter can hold onto an atmosphere of hydrogen molecules just like other planets in the Solar System. Look up, either in your textbook or online, the dominant composition of the atmospheres of Ceres, Earth, and Jupiter. Are these consistent with your calculations? Explain your answer for each. 10) Ceres: Ceres has a very thin atmosphere, contains water vapor, and is nitrogen rich. It also is 1/10,000 the pressure of the Earth’s atmosphere. These are constant with our calculations because Ceres can’t hold an atmosphere because the pressure is too low. 11) Earth: Earth has atmospheric layers (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere). The Earth is composed of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and one percent other gasses. The temperature and pressure affect the atmospheric layers. These are consistent with my calculations because the Earth could hold onto a nitrogen atmosphere. 12) Jupiter: Jupiter is the largest planetary atmosphere in the Solar System. It is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium molecules. These are consistent with my calculations because Jupiter can hold onto a hydrogen atmosphere.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Related Documents

Lab 1_ Describing motion (1).docx

Measurement and Error Analysis Lab.docx

FORCE AND NEWTON’S LAWS REVIEW.docx

Coulomb's Law.docx

Charges and Fields.docx

_TrackingMotionsWorksheet.docx.pdf

8-ImpulseMomentum-Report-0723a.docx

PHYS Lab 6 Report.pdf

Lab Report 9.docx

PHYS_2&12_Lab 2_Prelab.docx

PHYS_2&12_Lab 5_e-m ratio.docx

PHYS_2&12_Lab 4_Prelab.docx

Recommended textbooks for you

Inquiry into Physics

Physics

ISBN:9781337515863

Author:Ostdiek

Publisher:Cengage

Astronomy

Physics

ISBN:9781938168284

Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff

Publisher:OpenStax

Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)

Physics

ISBN:9781337399920

Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)

Physics

ISBN:9781337399944

Author:Michael A. Seeds

Publisher:Cengage Learning

The Solar System

Physics

ISBN:9781337672252

Author:The Solar System

Publisher:Cengage

College Physics

Physics

ISBN:9781938168000

Author:Paul Peter Urone, Roger Hinrichs

Publisher:OpenStax College

SEE MORE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended textbooks for you

Inquiry into Physics
Physics
ISBN:9781337515863
Author:Ostdiek
Publisher:Cengage
Astronomy
Physics
ISBN:9781938168284
Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher:OpenStax
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399920
Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399944
Author:Michael A. Seeds
Publisher:Cengage Learning
The Solar System
Physics
ISBN:9781337672252
Author:The Solar System
Publisher:Cengage
College Physics
Physics
ISBN:9781938168000
Author:Paul Peter Urone, Roger Hinrichs
Publisher:OpenStax College