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Atmosphere is a layer of gas that surrounds the planet, including Earth, from the surface to outer space. How much does Earth’s atmosphere weigh and how is it weighed?
Launch Encyclopedia BritannicaSaturday (2/7/2022), in 1798 ago, an English physicist, Henry Cavendish, became the first person to accurately determine the mass of the Earth.
He painstakingly carried out experiments to calculate the density of the Earth and the value of G or the general gravitational constant which was first proposed by Isaac Newton in 1687.
Through an experiment, Cavendish managed to ‘weigh the world’ and obtained a yield of about 6 sextillion tons. Meanwhile, the total mass of Earth’s atmosphere is about 5.5 quadrillion tons or about one millionth of the mass of the Earth.
Earth’s atmosphere extends from the oceans, land, and ice-covered surfaces to outer space and the layer closest to Earth’s surface, because the planet’s gravitational attraction pulls gases and aerosols inward.
Atmospheric Gas Composition
The gas in the atmosphere consists of oxygen (O2) with levels reaching 20.95 percent, carbon dioxide (CO2) with levels of 0.034 percent, nitrogen (N2) reaching 78.08 percent, neon (Ne), argon (Ar), xenon (Xe). ), and krypton (Kr) which is a noble element and does not easily combine with other elements.
Then, helium (He) and hydrogen (H2) are very rare in the air except for the high heat, ozone (O3) which effectively absorbs ultraviolet radiation, and water vapor (H2O) which is the result of evaporation from seas, lakes, ponds, rivers. , and plant transpiration.
Earth’s Atmosphere Consists of 5 Layers
There are five layers atmosphere covering the Earth, namely the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere (ionosphere), and exosphere. Launch page Learning Resources Kemendikbud and news detikEduhere’s the explanation:
1. Troposphere
The troposphere is the layer closest to Earth. This layer is located at an altitude of 0 to 12 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
The troposphere contains two chemical compounds, namely carbon dioxide and water vapor. Where these compounds are not found in many other layers.
This most basic layer of the atmosphere still allows humans to breathe. This layer serves to maintain the stability of the air on Earth.
The troposphere consists of three sub layers, as follows:
- Water planet layer: The distance is 0-1 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
- Layers of convection or air circulation: The distance is 1-8 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
- Tropopause layer: It is 8-12 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Air is not found in this layer.
2. Stratosphere
The stratosphere is the layer of the atmosphere that is cold and occupied only by ozone. The temperature range is 5 C. This layer is above the tropopause sub layer, the troposphere.
Ozone is located at a distance of 35 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. In this layer, the temperature difference begins to look like the difference in pressure, air, and temperature. This layer blocks direct sunlight.
The stratosphere consists of three sub layers, as follows:
- Lapisan isotherm
- Hot layer
- Top mix layer
3. Mesosphere
The mesosphere is a layer that is located at an altitude of 50 kilometers to 75 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. In this layer, there is a significant decrease in temperature with each increase in altitude.
The temperature in the mesosphere layer reaches 0.4 ° C every 100 meters at an altitude. This layer serves to dispel space objects. Before falling to Earth, space objects such as meteors will be burned and decomposed into dust in this layer.
Like the previous two layers, the mesosphere is directly adjacent to the thermosphere in the mesopause or transitional layer. Air is not found in this layer.
4. Thermosphere (Ionosphere)
The thermosphere or ionosphere is the layer where the ionization of particles occurs. This gives rise to the effect of propagation or reflection of radio waves, both with low and high frequencies.
This fourth layer of the atmosphere is located at an altitude of 80 to 100 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. This is where the aurora will appear due to the ionization process which then produces colorful light.
The temperature in the thermosphere is between 40°C and 1232°C. This layer consists of three sub layers, including:
- Kennelyy Heavyside layer or E layer: The distance is 100 to 200 kilometers from the Earth’s surface.
- Appleton layer or F layer: It is 200 to 400 kilometers from the Earth’s surface.
- Atomic Layer: It is 400 to 800 kilometers from the Earth’s surface.
5. Exosphere
The exosphere is the last layer that covers the Earth. The distance is about 800 to 3260 kilometers. Interactions between gases in space will occur in this layer.
The long distance between the exosphere and Earth causes the low strength or attraction of the Earth in this layer.
Unlike the other layers that contain a lot of gas, in the exosphere only a small amount of gas will be found. This layer is also the hottest layer than the other layers. The temperature reaches 2,200°C.
The exosphere is often referred to as interplanetary space and is geostationary. Layer atmosphere This outermost is very dangerous because it becomes a place for meteors from outer space to destroy.
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