question_answer 24)

  If there were no atmosphere around the earth, the temperature of the earth will (a) increase                                                        (b) go on decreasing (c) increase during day and decrease during night                                             (d) be unaffected

Answer:

  (c) Air is an inexhaustible natural resource, In the absence of air, there would be no life, no winds, clouds or rain, no fires and no protection against harmful solar radiations. This is because the atmosphere covers the earth, like a blanket. As air is a bad conductor of heat the atmosphere keeps the average temperature of the earth fairly steady during the day and even during the course of whole year. The atmosphere prevents only sudden increase in temperature during the daylight hours. And at night, atmosphere slows down the escape of heat into outer space. For instance moon, which is about the same distance from the sun that the earth is, but it lacks an earth-like atmosphere. As a consequence of absence of atmosphere the temperature of moon ranges from  to  C.