Introduction to Aircraft

Tutorial: Topic 1 – The Atmosphere

1. Which layer contains all of our weather

a. Mesosphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Troposphere
d. Thermosphere

2. Which layer contains the highest concentration of O3

a. Mesosphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Troposphere
d. Thermosphere

3. Which layer has the highest temperature

a. Mesosphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Troposphere
d. Thermosphere

4. The height of the troposphere is

a. 60,000ft
b. 36,090ft
c. 20,000ft
d. All of the above

5. The tropopause has a temperature lapse rate that is

a. Positive, as altitude increases, temperature increases
b. Zero, as altitude increases, temperature remains constant
c. Negative, as altitude increases, temperature decreases
d. None of the above

6. The temperature in the stratosphere increases with increasing altitude because

a. Solar radiation
b. Ozone
c. Both (a) and (b)
d. None of the above

7. The stratopause is
a. An isothermal layer
b. Contains the highest concentration of ozone
c. Is located at an altitude of 85km
d. All of the above
8. The mesosphere has a lapse rate that is
a. Positive, as altitude increases, temperature increases
b. Zero, as altitude increases, temperature remains constant
c. Negative, as altitude increases, temperature decreases
d. None of the above

9. The mesopause
a. Has the highest concentration of H2O
b. Has a positive temperature lapse rate
c. Is an isothermal layer
d. None of the above

10. The thermosphere is name as such because

a. The temperature is so low, almost zero Kelvin
b. The temperature is so high, up to 1700 Kelvin
c. It is an isothermal layer
d. None of the above

11. The thermopause

a. Has a positive temperature lapse rate
b. Is an isothermal layer
c. Has the highest concentration of O2
d. None of the above

12. List the four most abundant gases in the atmosphere.

a. N2
b. O2
c. H2O
d. Ar

13. Which atmospheric gas shows the greatest variation from place to place?

H2O

14. The ISA pressure at sea level is 101325 Pa, what is this in,
a) hectopascals
1013.25 hPa
b) kilopascals
101.325 kPa
c) millibar
1013.25 mb
d) millimetres of mercury, and
760 mm Hg
e) inches of mercury?
 29.97 inches Hg

15. List the layers of the atmosphere (as classified by temperature), from the ground up.
a. Troposphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Mesosphere
d. Thermosphere
e. Exosphere

16. Explain the difference between a homosphere and a hetrosphere?

A homosphere has a homogenous mixture of gases. For example, in the tropopause

the O2 and N2 are evenly distributed. A hetrosphere is one where the mixture of gases
is not uniform. The ozone layer is a good example of this.

17. Describe how the air temperature changes from the surface to the Exosphere.

On average, temperature decreases from the surface to the tropopause (around 10 km,
then increases to the stratopause (around 50 km), then decreases to the mesopause
(around 90 km), then increases through the thermosphere.

18. The ISA temperature at sea level is 15 degrees Celsius, what is this in,
a) Kelvin
288.15 K
b) Fahrenheit
59 F
c) Rankine
518.67 R

19. What is the temperature at an altitude of 9,000ft?

T(h) = 288 – 2(h)/1000 = 288 – 2(9,000)/1000 = 288 – 18 = 270 [K]

20. What is the temperature at an altitude of 40,000ft?

231.5 [K] (no calculation, it is the tropopause)

21. What is the temperature at an altitude of 22,000ft?

T(h) = 288 – 2(h)/1000 = 288 – 2(22,000)/1000 = 288 – 44 = 244 [K]

22. The outside air temperature is -15 degrees Celsius, what altitude is the aircraft at,
assuming ISA?

T(h) = 288 – 2(h)/1000

h = 1000 × [288 – T(h)]/2 = 1000 × [288 – 258]/2 = 1000 × (30)/2 = 15,000 [ft]

23. At 20,000 ft the ISA values are T = -24.6 C, P = 46560 Pa, and  = 0.653 kg/m3.
Determine the ratios relative to sea level for each of these

a.  = 0.8625

b.  = 0.4595

c.  = 0.5328