Question

"The Earth’s atmosphere consists of distinct layers. The troposphere is the layer closest to Earth’s surface. The stratosphere begins just above the troposphere and extends up to 50 kilometers above Earth’s surface. The temperature increases from –51°C at the bottom of the stratosphere to –15°C at the top of the stratosphere. What is the temperature increase, in degrees Celsius, from the bottom to the top of the stratosphere?

a) a. 36°C
b) b. 35°C
c) c. 36.5°C
d) d. 37°C"

Answer 1

The temperature increase from the bottom to the top of the stratosphere is 36°C. This is calculated by subtracting the lower temperature at the bottom (-51°C) from the higher temperature at the top (-15°C). The correct answer to the student's question is (a) 36°C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Earth's atmosphere is made up of different layers, with each layer having distinct characteristics and temperature variations. The closest layer to Earth's surface is the troposphere, where the temperature decreases with altitude. Above the troposphere is the stratosphere, which extends up to 50 kilometers above Earth's surface. In the stratosphere, unlike the troposphere, temperature increases with altitude due to the absorption of ultraviolet (UV) radiation by ozone.

The question requires calculating the temperature increase from the bottom to the top of the stratosphere. At the bottom, the temperature is -51°C, and at the top, it is -15°C. The temperature increase can be calculated by subtracting the lower temperature from the higher temperature: Temperature at the top of the stratosphere (-15°C) - Temperature at the bottom of the stratosphere (-51°C) = 36°C

Therefore, the correct answer is (a), which is a 36°C increase in temperature from the bottom to the top of the stratosphere.