The movement of Solar Energy looks like this: About 70% of all heat that hits the Earth is absorbed as heat. This energy heats lakes, land, oceans and some of the atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere contains water molecules, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. The heat coming in and being absorbed and the heat being reflected or radiated back out into space is in equilibrium....this means that incoming and outgoing are in a balance. Without the "greenhouse gases" much or most of all our heat energy would be reflected back into space. Scientists have been comparing Earth with Venus and there are some similarities between our atmospheres and of course some great differences. Venus has a super thick atmosphere full of gases like Earth, they trap heat just like our atmosphere. Our atmosphere is made up mostly of water vapor, Venus on the other hand has concentrated sulfuric acid as its main atmospheric gas. Yup, not much life on Venus because of all the sulfuric acid...one probe did make it to Venus and took pictures for just a few minutes before it was eaten up by the acid. These pictures were taken by the Soviet Venera probe. It lasted mere minutes before melting. Venus has a large amount of active volcanoes that have covered the surface with lava flows and filled the atmosphere with toxic gases. Along with the sulfuric acid molecules, the second most prevalent gas is carbon dioxide. Venus' atmosphere is 90% thicker than Earth's and exerts that much more "air" pressure on the surface. Venus is closer to the Sun than we are so its solar heat energy is higher and the ability for Venus to trap the heat is greater because of its thick atmosphere making it the "hottest planet" in the Solar System. Venus' average heat is 932 degrees Fahrenheit. Yeah, way too hot for me...and every living and non-living thing...
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |