Free Environment and Atmosphere MCQs with Answers

303 Environment and Atmosphere MCQs from Everyday Science, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

Environmental science covers ecosystems, food chains and webs, energy flow, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, natural resources and population effects. Atmospheric study includes the layers and composition of air, weather and climate, greenhouse gases, global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain and pollution, with climate change distinguished from ordinary weather variation.

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303 questions · page 3 of 16

Hard
  • A. 1 gram
  • B. 10 grams
  • C. 1 kg
  • D. 10 kg

Explanation: Sea-water salinity is conventionally expressed as the mass of dissolved salts in one kilogram of seawater, commonly about 35 grams per…

Correct answer: 1 kg
Moderate
  • A. Oxygen - Carbon dioxide
  • B. Carbon dioxide - Oxygen
  • C. Oxygen - Carbon monoxide
  • D. None of theseCarbon monoxide - Oxygen

Explanation: In darkness, photosynthesis stops but respiration continues, so plants generally take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

Correct answer: Oxygen - Carbon dioxide
Fairly easy
  • A. Oxygen
  • B. Hydrogen
  • C. Carbon Dioxide
  • D. Silicon

Explanation: Oxygen is the most abundant element in Earth's crust by mass, largely because it is combined with silicon and metals in widespread rocks…

Correct answer: Oxygen
Moderate
  • A. Methane
  • B. Hydrogen
  • C. Nitrous oxide
  • D. Ozone

Explanation: Hydrogen is not normally classified as a greenhouse gas because it does not significantly absorb outgoing infrared radiation.

Correct answer: Hydrogen
Fairly easy
  • A. Sedimentary rock
  • B. Schist rock
  • C. Igneous rock
  • D. Metamorphic rock

Explanation: Igneous rocks form when molten magma or lava cools and solidifies. Sedimentary rocks form from deposited material, while metamorphic rocks…

Correct answer: Igneous rock
Fairly easy
  • A. Increasing
  • B. Decreasing
  • C. Remains same
  • D. First decreases then increases

Explanation: Atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude because there is less air above exerting weight on a given area.

Correct answer: Decreasing
Fairly easy
  • A. Increased oxygen level
  • B. Decreases greenhouse gases
  • C. Increased greenhouse gases
  • D. Increased ethane level

Explanation: Burning coal, oil and gas releases carbon dioxide and other gases that increase the atmospheric greenhouse effect.

Correct answer: Increased greenhouse gases
Hard
  • A. Average height (H)
  • B. Scale height (H)
  • C. Mean height (H)
  • D. Standard height (H)

Explanation: The scale height is the vertical distance over which atmospheric pressure falls to 1/e, or about 36.8%, of its original value.

Correct answer: Scale height (H)
Moderate
  • A. Electrosphere
  • B. Magnetosphere
  • C. Spectrosphere
  • D. Echosphere

Explanation: The outer exosphere merges gradually with space and interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, the region controlled by the planet's magnetic…

Correct answer: Magnetosphere
Easy
  • A. Troposphere
  • B. Stratosphere
  • C. Mesosphere
  • D. Ionosphere

Explanation: The stratosphere contains the concentrated ozone layer, generally about 15–35 km above Earth's surface.

Correct answer: Stratosphere
Easy
  • A. Troposphere
  • B. Stratosphere
  • C. Mesosphere
  • D. Thermosphere

Explanation: Most weather occurs in the troposphere because it contains most atmospheric water vapour and is heated from Earth's surface, producing…

Correct answer: Troposphere
Moderate
  • A. Mass of vertical column of atmospheric gases
  • B. Mass of horizontal column of atmospheric gases
  • C. Weight of vertical column of atmospheric gases
  • D. Mass of vertical and weight of horizontal of atmospheric gases

Explanation: Atmospheric pressure is caused by the weight of the vertical column of air above a surface area.

Correct answer: Weight of vertical column of atmospheric gases
Hard
  • A. Troposphere
  • B. Mesosphere
  • C. Exosphere
  • D. Stratosphere

Explanation: The exosphere is the outermost atmospheric layer, beginning roughly 690 to 1,000 km above Earth and extending thousands of kilometres into…

Correct answer: Exosphere
Very hard
  • A. Its density is lesser at short distances from planetary surface in morning and further decreases as ionosphere rises at night-time, thereby allowing a greater range of radio frequencies to travel greater distances
  • B. Its density is greater at short distances from tplanetary surface in daytime and decreases as ionosphere rises at night-time, thereby allowing a greater range of radio frequencies to travel greater distances
  • C. Its density is greater at long distances from planetary surface in daytime and further increases as ionosphere rises at night-time, thereby allowing a greater range of radio frequencies to travel greater distances
  • D. None of the above

Explanation: The ionosphere is denser in its lower regions during daytime because solar radiation produces more ions, while reduced ionisation at night…

Correct answer: Its density is greater at short distances from tplanetary surface in daytime and decreases as ionosphere rises at night-time, thereby allowing a greater range of radio frequencies to travel greater distances
Easy
  • A. Pressure of the planetary body
  • B. Gravity of the planetary body
  • C. Charge of the planetary body
  • D. Heat of the planetary body

Explanation: Gravity pulls atmospheric gases toward a planet and prevents most of them from escaping into space.

Correct answer: Gravity of the planetary body
Very hard
  • A. 75 km, Mesosphere, 670 km
  • B. 80 km, Ionosphere, 680 km
  • C. 85 km, Exosphere, 690 km
  • D. 90 km, Ozone Layer , 690 km

Explanation: In the simplified atmospheric model used here, the thermosphere begins near 85 km and extends to about 690 km, where the exosphere begins.

Correct answer: 85 km, Exosphere, 690 km
Fairly easy
  • A. Troposphere
  • B. Stratosphere
  • C. Mesosphere
  • D. Ionosphere

Explanation: Most meteors burn up in the mesosphere because air resistance heats them intensely as they enter this layer.

Correct answer: Mesosphere
Very hard
  • A. 46 km to 85 km
  • B. 48 km to 85 km
  • C. 50 km to 85 km
  • D. 52 km to 85 km

Explanation: The mesosphere is conventionally described as extending from about 50 km to 85 km above Earth's surface.

Correct answer: 50 km to 85 km
Fairly easy
  • A. Infrared radiation
  • B. Ultraviolet radiation
  • C. Ozone layer
  • D. Radio waves

Explanation: The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which absorbs most incoming ultraviolet radiation, especially harmful UV-B and UV-C.

Correct answer: Ultraviolet radiation
Fairly easy
  • A. Troposphere
  • B. Stratosphere
  • C. Mesosphere
  • D. Ionosphere

Explanation: The stratosphere absorbs most solar ultraviolet radiation because it contains the ozone layer.

Correct answer: Stratosphere