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SCIENCE
Quarter 4 – Module 3:
Solar Energy and the Atmosphere

Self-Learning Module

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 7

Science
Quarter 4 Module 3
Week 3

Solar Energy and the Atmosphere

Department of Education
Mandaue City Division

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 LEARNING COMPETENCIES:

Discuss how energy from the Sun interacts with the layers of the atmosphere
S7ES-IVd-5
Account for the occurrence of land and sea breezes, monsoons, and
intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
S7ES-IVf-7

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Discuss how energy from the Sun interacts with the layers of
the atmosphere
• Explain how some human activities affect the atmosphere
• Account for the occurrence of land and sea breeze, monsoons, and
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ); and

• Describe the effects of certain weather systems in the Philippines.

INTRODUCTION

In the previous module, you learned that the presence of

different natural resources in the Philippines is related to the country’s
location. It was also mentioned that the climate in a certain area
depends on its latitude.

In this module, you are going to learn more about how the
location of the Philippines influences its climate and weather. To
prepare you for this lesson, you must first learn about the envelope
of air that surrounds the Earth where all weather events happen –
the atmosphere.

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 What I Know?

Pre-Assessment

Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer.

1. What is the most abundant element in the Earth’s atmosphere?

A. Argon C. Nitrogen
B. Carbon dioxide D. Oxygen

2. Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?

A. Mesosphere C. Thermosphere
B. Stratosphere D. Troposphere

3. What is meant by “trace” gases?

A. They are not harmful. C. They are naturally occurring on Earth.
B. They are emitted by trees. D. They are present in very small amounts.

4. What is the basis for the division of the layers of the atmosphere
surrounding Earth?
A. changing temperature C. changing amount of oxygen
B. changing weather patterns D. changing composition of gases

5. Why is the presence of ozone above the troposphere important for the survival
of living things on Earth?
A. It warms Earth’s surface.
B. It helps in cloud formation.
C. It makes jet flying more comfortable.
D. It offers protection from the Sun’s harmful UV rays.

6. What happens when air is heated?

A. It expands, then rises. C. It spreads in all directions.
B. It stays in place. D. It moves toward a lower elevation.

7. Which warms up faster, land or water?

A. land C. both warm up at the same rate
B. water D. rate of warming varies; depends on weather

8. In what direction do winds blow?

A. from the northeast to the southwest
B. from the southwest to the northeast
C. from low pressure areas to high pressure areas
D. from high pressure areas to low pressure areas

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 9. Which of the following does NOT describe the amihan?
A. brings lots of rain
B. brings cold weather
C. comes around July to September
D. comes from the northeast and moves southward

10. Which is NOT true about ITCZ?

A. It results in thunderstorms.
B. It occurs in countries near the equator.
C. It occurs in the Philippines all year round.
D. It is a place where winds in the tropics meet, rise and form clouds.

PRE - ACTIVITY:

What is the basis

for dividing
Earth’s
atmosphere into
layers?

In this activity, you

will be able to gather
information about Earth’s
atmosphere based on a
graph. Specifically, you will:
1. describe the features
of each of the five layers;
2. compare the features of
the five layers; and
3. explain the basis for the
division of the layers of
the atmosphere.

What to use
Graph in Figure 1
A ruler, if available

What to do
1. Study the graph and
answer the guide questions
that follow.
Q1. What are the five layers?
Q2. In which layer is
temperature increasing
with increasing altitude?
Q3. In which layer is temperature decreasing with increasing altitude?

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 Q4. From the graph, can you generalize that the higher the layer of the atmosphere (that
is closer to the Sun), the hotter the temperature?
Q5. What other information about Earth’s atmosphere can you derive from the graph?

2. Organize and summarize the data about the atmosphere from the graph using the
table below.

What I Need to Know?

The troposphere is the layer closest to Earth’s surface. The temperature

just above the ground is hotter than the temperature high above. Weather occurs
in the troposphere because this layer contains most of the water vapor. Air in the
troposphere is constantly moving. As a result, aircraft flying through the
troposphere may have a very bumpy ride – what we know as turbulence. People
who have used the airplane for travelling have experienced this especially when
there is a typhoon in areas where the plane passes through.
The stratosphere is the layer of air that extends to about 50 km from
Earth’s surface. Many jet aircraft fly in the stratosphere because it is very stable.
It is in the stratosphere that we find the ozone layer. The ozone layer absorbs
much of the Sun’s harmful radiation that would otherwise be dangerous to plant
and animal life.
The layer between 50 km and 80 km above the Earth’s surface is called
the mesosphere. Air in this layer is very thin and cold. Meteors or rock fragments
burn up in the mesosphere.
The thermosphere is between 80 km and 110 km above the Earth. Space
shuttles fly in this area and it is also where the auroras are found. Auroras are
caused when the solar wind strikes gases in the atmosphere above the Poles.

The upper limit of our atmosphere is the exosphere. This layer of the
atmosphere merges into space. Satellites are stationed in this area, 500 km to
1000 km from Earth.

To summarize what has been discussed: More than three quarters of

Earth’s atmosphere is made up of nitrogen while one fifth is oxygen. The remaining
1% is a mixture of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ozone. These gases not only
produce important weather features such as cloud and rain, but also have
considerable influence on the overall climate of the Earth, through the
greenhouse effect and global warming.

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 What is the Greenhouse Effect?

To understand the greenhouse effect, you need to first understand how a real
greenhouse works. In temperate countries, a greenhouse is used to grow seedlings in the late
winter and early spring. Greenhouses allow sunlight to enter but prevent heat from escaping.

The Earth’s atmosphere is compared to a greenhouse. Besides nitrogen and oxygen,

Earth’s atmosphere contains trace gases
such as carbon dioxide, water vapor,
methane, and ozone. Like the glass in a
greenhouse, the trace gases have a similar
effect on the Sun’s rays. They allow sunlight
to pass through, resulting in the warming up
of the Earth’s surface. But they absorb the
energy coming from the Earth’s surface,
keeping the Earth’s temperature suitable for
life on Earth. The process by which the
Earth’s atmosphere warms up is called ‘greenhouse effect’ and the trace gases are referred
to as ‘greenhouse gases.’

The ‘greenhouse effect’ is a natural process and it warms the Earth. Without the
greenhouse effect, Earth would be very cold, too cold for living things, such as plants and
animals.

To further understand the effect of greenhouse gases, look at the figure below. It contains
some data about Venus and Earth, planets that are almost of the same size and are near
each other, so they are called twin planets.
The composition of atmosphere and the average
surface temperature of the two planets are also
given. Why is the average temperature of Venus
very much higher than that of Earth? What could
have caused this phenomenon?

Both Earth and Venus have carbon dioxide,

a greenhouse gas, in their atmospheres. The small
amount of carbon dioxide on Earth’s gives the right temperature for living things to survive.
With the high surface temperature of Venus due to its high carbon dioxide concentration,
do you think life forms like those we know of could exist there?

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 Is Earth Getting Warmer?
What is the Evidence?

Studies have shown that before 1750 (called the pre-industrialization years),
carbon dioxide concentration was about 0.028 percent or 280 parts per million (ppm) by
volume. The graph below shows the concentration of carbon dioxide from 1958 to 2003.
What information can you derive from the graph?

Recent studies report that in

2000-2009, carbon dioxide rose by 2.0 ppm
per year. In 2011, the level is higher than at
any time during the last 800 thousand
years. Local temperatures fluctuate
naturally, over the past 50 years but the
average global temperature has increased
at the fastest rate in recorded history.

What if there is increasing

emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? What is the
problem with a small increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere?

More carbon dioxide means that more heat is trapped in Earth’s atmosphere.
More heat cannot return back into space. More heat trapped by the carbon dioxide means a
warmer Earth.
The increasing temperature phenomenon is known as ‘global warming’. Global
means that all countries and people around the world are affected even if that country is
not a major contributor of greenhouse gases. Many scientists now agree that many human
activities emit more greenhouses gases into the atmosphere, making the natural
greenhouse effect stronger. Scientists are also saying that if we carry on polluting the
atmosphere with greenhouse gases, it will have a dangerous effect on the Earth.

What are the Sources of

Greenhouse Gases?

Carbon dioxide is naturally produced when people and animals breathe. Plants
and trees take in and use carbon dioxide to produce their own food. Volcanoes also produce
carbon dioxide. Methane comes from grazing animals as they digest their food and from
decaying matter in wet rice fields. Ozone is also naturally present in the stratosphere.

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 Carbon dioxide comes from the burning of fossil fuel such as coal, crude oil and
natural gas. Cutting down and burning of trees releases carbon dioxide. Methane can also
be released from buried waste. For example, the left-over food, garden wastes, and animal
wastes collected from our homes are thrown into dumpsites. When lots of wastes are
compressed and packed together, they produce methane. Coal mining also produces
methane.
Another group of greenhouse gases includes the chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs for
short. CFCs have been used in spray cans as propellants, in refrigerators as refrigerants, and
in making foam plastics as foaming agents. They become dangerous when released into the
atmosphere, depleting the ozone layer. For this reason, their use has been banned around
the world.

What Is It? What have you learned about the atmosphere?

There are natural processes in the atmosphere that
protect and sustain life on Earth. For example, the greenhouse
effect keeps temperature on Earth just right for living things. For
as long as the concentration of greenhouse gases are controlled,
we will have no problem.
But human activities have emitted greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere, increasing their levels to quantities that
have adverse effects on people, plants, animals and the physical
environment. Burning of fossil fuels, for example, has increased
levels of carbon dioxide thus trapping more heat, increasing air
temperature, and causing global warming. Such global
phenomenon is feared to melt polar ice caps and cause flooding
to low-lying areas that will result to reduction in biodiversity. It is
even feared that global warming is already changing climates
around the globe, causing stronger typhoons, and creating many
health-related problems.

What’s More?
Common Atmospheric
Phenomena

Activity 1:
What happens when air is heated?
In this activity, you will learn two concepts that will help you understand common
atmospheric phenomena: why the wind blows, why monsoons occur, and what is the so-
called intertropical convergence zone. All of these are driven by the same thing: the heat of
the Sun or solar energy. Thus, we begin by asking, what happens when air is heated?

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 What to use?
two paper bags
candle
long straight stick
match
masking tape
chair

What to do?

1. Attach a paper bag to each end of the stick (see drawing above). The open end of each
bag should be facing down.
2. Balance the stick with the paper bags on the chair (see drawing below.)

3. Make a prediction: what do

you think will happen if you
place a lighted candle under
the open end of one of the
bags?

4. Now, light the candle and

place it below one of the bags.
Caution: Do not place the
candle too close to the paper
bag. It may catch fire. Be
ready with a pail of water or
wet rag just in case.

Q1. Was your prediction accurate? Describe

what happened.
Q2. Can you explain why?
Q3. What will happen when a lighted candle is
placed
under one of the bags?

This is the first concept that you need to know: Warm air rises. Now, try to answer
the following question.
Q4. When warm air is rising, what is its effect on the air in the surroundings?
Q5. Will the air in the surroundings stay in place?
Q6. Will it be affected in some way by the rising air?

Do the following activity and find out.

Activity 2:
What happens to the air in the
surroundings as warm air rises?

After performing this activity, you should be able to explain what happens to the air
in the surroundings as warm air rises.

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 What to use?
box candle
scissors match
cardboard tube smoke source
clear plastic (ex. mosquito coil)

What to do?

Pre-activity:
Make two holes in the box: one hole on one side and
another hole on top (see drawing). Place the cardboard tube over
the hole on top and tape it in place. Make a window at the front side of the box so you can
see inside. Cover the window with clear plastic to make the box airtight.

Activity proper:
1. Open the box and place the candle directly below the hole on
top. Light up the candle and close the box.
2. Make a prediction: What do you think will happen if you place
a smoke source near the hole?
3. Now, place the smoke source near the hole.
Q1. Was your prediction accurate?
Q2. What happened?
Q3. Can you explain why?
Q4. What happens to the smoke when the source is placed near the
hole?

Let us now relate what happened in the activity to what happens in nature.
During the day, the surface of the Earth becomes warm because of the Sun. Some
parts of the Earth will warm up more quickly than others. Naturally, the air above
the warmer surfaces will also become warm. What happens to the warm air? Just
like in the activity, it will rise. How is the air in the surroundings affected? It will
move toward the place where warm air is rising. This is the other concept that you
need to know: Air moves toward the place where warm air is rising.

Sea Breeze and Land Breeze

Imagine that you are standing by the sea, along the shore. During the day, the land
heats up faster than the water in
the sea. The air above land will
then become warm ahead of the
air above the sea. You know what
happens to warm air: it rises. So,
the warmer air above the land will
rise. The air above the sea will then
move in to replace the rising warm
air. (See drawing on the right.) You
will then feel this moving air as a light wind—a sea breeze.

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 What will happen at night, when the Sun is gone? The land and sea will both cool
down. But the land will lose heat
faster than the water in the sea. In
other words, the sea will stay warm
longer. This time the air above the sea
will be warmer than that above land.
The warm air above the sea will then
rise. Air from land will move out to
replace the rising warm air. (See
drawing below.) This moving air or
wind from land is called a land breeze.

Monsoons
Like the sea breeze and land breeze, monsoons can also be explained using the
two concepts that were learned earlier: warm air rises and the surrounding air moves in
toward the place where warm air is rising. But while sea and land breezes alternate on a
day-night cycle, the monsoons occur from season to season. And while sea and land
breezes occur locally, along coastal areas, the monsoons affect a much wider area,
including large bodies of water and land.

Activity 3:
Amihan vs. Habagat
What to do
The phrases inside the boxes are all related to monsoons in the Philippines.
Arrange them properly.

MAARING MAGPAHINA NG OKTUBRE HANGGANG MARSO

BAGYO DAHIL WALA ITONG
MASYADONG MOISTURE
HANGIN MULA SA HILAGANG-
MAINIT AT MOIST NA HANGIN SILANGAN
MULA SA INDIAN OCEAN
HULYO HANGGANG SETYEMBRE
KARANIWANG NAGPAPAULAN
SA SILANGANG BAHAGI NG
BANSA SOUTHWEST MONSOON

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 HANGIN MULA SA TIMOG-
KANLURAN MAARING MAGPALAKAS NG
BAGYO
NORTHEAST MONSOON
KARANIWANG NAGPAPAULAN
TUYO AT MALAMIG NA HANGIN SA KANLURANG BAHAGI NG
MULA SA SIBERIA BANSA

Key concepts on monsoons:

1. The wind moves from a high-pressure area toward a low-pressure area.

2. There are two types of monsoons. From October to March, the northeast
monsoon (amihan) comes from the northeast and moves toward the south.
Why does the wind move from north to south? Because there is a low-
pressure area in the south (near Australia) at that time.
3. From July to September, the southwest monsoon or habagat comes from
southwest and moves toward the north. That means that the low-
pressure area is no longer in the south. This time it is located to the north of
the Philippines (in the Asian continent).
4. The northeast monsoon or amihan is cold because it comes from cold
areas, such as Siberia and Mongolia, in the Asian continent.

Both the amihan and habagat bring rain to the Philippines. This is
because the winds pass over bodies of water which supply a lot of moisture.
The amihan passes over the Pacific Ocean before it reaches the Philippines,
bringing rain to the eastern part of the Philippines. The habagat passes over
the Indian Ocean and South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) before it
arrives in our country, bringing rain to the western portion of the country.

The monsoons, habagat and amihan, affect people in different ways.

Farmers welcome the monsoons because they supply rain for their crops.
Fisherfolk are not so happy because it is not safe to go fishing when it is raining
and the wind is also blowing hard. Fishpen owners worry about monsoon rains
because when the pens overflow, they lose all the fish within. But rains from the
monsoons fill up the dams that store water for a variety of purposes, such as
domestic use (drinking, washing), irrigation, and electricity generation.

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 ITCZ
The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ, is a belt of low pressure which
circles the Earth generally near the equator where the trade winds of the Northern
and Southern Hemispheres come together.
We all know that the equatorial region is a warm place. The reason is because
the equator and nearby areas are places that receive direct rays from the Sun. That
means the Sun is directly overhead. Because the equatorial area receives direct rays
from the Sun, it is much warmer than any other place on Earth. The warm equatorial
area heats up the air above it. The warm air then rises. Moisture in the rising air will
lead to the formation of clouds, which result in torrential downpours. Thus, the ITCZ
is the reason why we get a lot of thunderstorms during certain months of the year.
Which months? During the months when the Sun’s rays are most direct, during the
warm months.

What I Have Learned?

Let’s find out if you’ve learned something!

Try to answer the following exercises.

POST - ASSESSMENT
Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer.

1. What is the correct order of Earth's atmospheric layers from bottom to top?
A. Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Troposphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
B. Stratosphere, Troposphere, Thermosphere, Mesosphere, Exosphere
C. Troposphere, Mesosphere, Stratosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
D. Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
2. In which layer do virtually all weather phenomena take place?

A. Exosphere C. Stratosphere B. Mesosphere D.

Troposphere

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 3. In which atmospheric layer is most water vapor found?
A. Troposphere C. Mesosphere
B. Stratosphere D.Thermosphere

4. The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon. Without a natural greenhouse effect,

the temperature of the Earth would be about -18°C instead of its present 14°C. Why are
scientists concerned about the greenhouse effect?
A. There is no technology that will keep the temperature of Earth constant.
B. Planting trees in wider areas is not possible; Earth has many desert areas.
C. Human activities like burning of fossil fuels and deforestation enhance
the greenhouse effect.
D. The human population is increasing rapidly; more carbon dioxide will be released
to the atmosphere.

5. Why do hikers put on thicker clothes when climbing a high mountain?

A. For protection against insect bites
B. The air temperature decreases with altitude
C. So they can easily be located when they get lost
D. To add more weight so they will not be pushed by the wind

6. What happens to the surrounding air as warm air rises?

A. Moves in all directions
B. Moves to a higher altitude
C. Moves away from the rising air
D. Moves toward the place where warm air rises

7. While on the beach, a group of Grade 7 learners are studying local winds. Carlos, the
leader of the group explains that the wind direction during the day is usually the reverse
of the wind direction at night. Which of the following statements supports John’s claim?
A. There is more water in the sea than on land.
B. This is usually an indication that an El Niño event is under way.
C. The water remains at about the same temperature all throughout the day.
D. Land heats up faster than water during the day and it also cools faster at night.

8. What is the reason to support the statement, “Cutting of trees in large areas contributes to
global warming?”
A. Plants use carbon dioxide to make food. When trees are cut, CO2 in the
atmosphere will not be used up.
B. Plants use oxygen to make food. When trees are cut, oxygen in the atmosphere
will not be used up.
C. Plants use water vapor to make food. When trees are cut, water vapor in
the atmosphere will not be used up.
D. Plants use nitrogen to make food. When trees are cut, nitrogen in the atmosphere
will not be used up.

9. What is TRUE about Intertropical Convergence Zone?

A. It occurs all year round.
B. It occurs in country near the equator.
C. It is characterized by hot and humid weather.
D. It is characterized by cold and humid dry air.

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 10. Which of the following statement is NOT TRUE about amihan and habagat?
A. Amihan is known as the northeast monsoon.
B. Habagat is known as the southwest monsoon.
C. From October to March, habagat comes from the northeast and moves
towards the south.
D. From October to March, amihan comes from the northeast and moves towards
the south

References

Printed:

K to 12 Curriculum Guide Science 7

K to 12 Learning Manual Science 7

Electronic Sources:

The Earth’s Atmosphere (http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/earth/atmosphere.html)

The Greenhouse Effect (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/grnhse.html)

Images of the Greenhouse Effect (http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_1.htm)

http://worldglobalwarmingprevention.blogspot.com/

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
REGION VII
Division of Mandaue City
Mandaue City, Cebu

NIMFA D. BONGO, Ed.D., CESO V

Schools Division Superintendent

ESTELA B. SUSVILLA, Ed.D.

Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

JAIME P. RUELAN, Ed.D.

Chief, Curriculum Implementation Division

ISMAELITA N. DESABILLE, Ed.D.

Education Program Supervisor – LRMDS

RUFINO T. TUDLASAN Jr., Ed.D.

Education Program Supervisor -Science

CHYRREL B. ENCONTRO
Writer

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY
 For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:
Department of Education – Division of Mandaue City
Plaridel St., Centro, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines 6014
Telephone Nos.: (032) 345 – 0545 | (032) 505 – 6337
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Website: https://depedmandaue.net

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | DIVISION OF MANDAUE CITY