New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

Pupil Worksheet

Week 3 Topic 1.3

Spec. refs 1.6, 6.6

1. What are the names of the two most common gases in the Earth’s atmosphere?
Choose from:

oxygen carbon dioxide nitrogen argon hydrogen

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)

2. ‘Seeing’ conditions relate to the

x A amount of light pollution at an observing site

x B degree of cloud cover when observing

x C the fraction of light absorbed by the atmosphere

x D the steadiness of the atmosphere when observing

(1)

3. What is the name given to the faint rusty/orange appearance of the night sky that is
often seen close to the horizon? Choose from:

sky park skyglow skydive

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

© Mickledore Publishing 2017
 New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

4. Light from the stars is absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere making them appear slightly
dimmer than they should be.
A teacher tells her students that this is more serious for stars that are lower in the sky
compared with the stars that are overhead because light travels a greater distance
through the Earth’s atmosphere.

star close to
zenith

Earth’s
atmosphere

observer

Complete the diagram above to explain the teacher’s comment.

(3)

5. Which of the following does NOT contribute to light pollution?

x A lamp posts

x B floodlights at sports stadiums

x C security lighting

x D sodium street lights

(1)

6. Which of the following can be measured using the Antoniadi Scale? Choose from:

‘blueness’ of the sky transparency of the atmosphere seeing conditions

Your answer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1)

New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

© Mickledore Publishing 2017
 New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

7. Jess was writing some notes to explain why the sky appears blue during the daytime.
Help Jess to complete her notes by adding suitable words in the spaces.
Choose from:

molecules red blue atoms orange faint transparent

Why is the sky blue?

When light enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it is

scattered by of oxygen and
nitrogen.

This scattering is greater for light

rather than for red light.

This means that more light enters our

eyes when we look up to the sky.

Solutions
1. oxygen (1) and nitrogen (1)
2. D (1)
3. skyglow (1)
4. (1)

(1) (1)

Line drawn through atmosphere from star to observer (1)

Star drawn ‘lower’ in the sky (1)
Longer line drawn from second star to observer (1)

New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

© Mickledore Publishing 2017
 New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

5. A (1)
6. seeing conditions (1)
7. molecules (1)
blue (1)
blue (1)

Your score: / 12

New Pupil Toolkit for GCSE (9-1) Astronomy

© Mickledore Publishing 2017