Planetary Atmosphere worksheet

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Clemson University *

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103

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Physics

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Apr 3, 2024

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pdf

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Planetary Atmosphere Worksheet These lab activities have evolved over many years of use in Clemson University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy general astronomy laboratory. Contributors include, in chronological order, Tom Collins, Mark Leising, Neil Miller, Peter Milne, Grant Williams, Donna Mullenax, Jessica Crist, Keith Davis, Amber Porter, Steven Bromley, and David Connick. Please direct all questions, complaints, and corrections to David Connick (dconnic@clemson.edu) who is responsible for all errors and omissions. Student Name: __________Carson Davis_____________Section: __1030_ For the following questions, use the equations given in the instruction document to do the calculation and answer the questions. You may use trial and error, a range of values in a spreadsheet, or algebra! For any question where you use an equation be sure to give the equation (the number from the instructions is acceptable) and the values of the variables that you plugged into the equation. Every question should have complete sentence answers. 1) What is the velocity of a hydrogen molecule in a planet’s atmosphere at 1 AU from the Sun? (remember to provide the equations you use and the numbers you plug into the equation) The velocity of a hydrogen molecule at 1 AU from the sun is 2262.7417 m/s. I found this by doing 160 times the square root of (400/2). This equation… 2) Can the Earth hold onto an atmosphere of hydrogen? Explain why or why not. No the Earth can not hold onto an atmosphere of hydrogen because the escape velocity is multiplied by 1/6 and which gives you 1,866.667. That is less than the Vgas which is 160 times the square root of (400/2), giving you 2,262.7417 m/s.

I used and formulas. 3) What is the velocity of a nitrogen molecule at 1 AU? The velocity of a nitrogen molecule at 1 AU is 604.7432 m/s. I found this by doing 160 times the square root of (400/28). 4) Can the Earth hold onto an atmosphere of nitrogen? Explain why or why not. Yes, the Earth can hold onto an atmosphere of nitrogen because the Vgas of 604.7432 m/s (I found this by doing 160 times the square root of (400/28) is less than the escape velocity multiplied by 1/6 which is 1866.667 m/s. 5) Estimate how far the Moon would have to be from the Sun before it would be cool enough to retain a nitrogen atmosphere. Nitrogen atmosphere is Vgas = 604.7432 m/s because Vgas = ⅙ Vescape and T = (Vgas/160)^2 M. Mass. So I solved for T getting T = 400.0001 K. The Moon would have to be 1 AU from the Sun before it would be cool enough to retain a nitrogen atmosphere. 6) What gasses from Table 3 could Mars retain in its atmosphere? - Mars = ( ⅙ )escape velocity - Mars = 833.33 m/s - Vgas < ( ⅙ )escape velocity of Mars - Vgas < 833.33 m/s - T = 326 K - Hydrogen: 2042.74 m/s…cannot retain - Methane: 680.91 m/s…can retain - Ammonia: 700.66 m/s…can retain - Water: 680.91 m/s…can retain - Nitrogen: 545.95 m/s … can retain - Carbon Dioxide: 435.51 m/s …can retain 7) What gasses from Table 3 could Ceres retain? Ceres = ( ⅙ )escape velocity Ceres = 85 m/s T = 239 K Hydrogen: 21749.06 m/s… cannot retain Methane: 618.38 m/s… cannot retain

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