AP Environmental Science Practice Quiz: Earth's Atmosphere
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 9 questions to check your progress.
Question 1 of 9
All Questions (9)
A) Variations in the concentration of major gases
B) Changes in atmospheric pressure with altitude
C) The presence of different types of clouds
D) Shifts in temperature gradients with increasing altitude
Correct Answer: D
The provided content explicitly states that 'The layers of the atmosphere are based on temperature gradients,' which refers to how temperature changes with altitude.
A) It consists of a single, uniform gas.
B) It is composed of several major gases, each with a specific relative abundance.
C) It is primarily made of water vapor and ozone.
D) The abundance of its gases is the same in every layer.
Correct Answer: B
The content states, 'The atmosphere is made up of major gases, each with its own relative abundance,' indicating a mixture of different gases in specific proportions.
A) Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Troposphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
B) Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
C) Exosphere, Thermosphere, Mesosphere, Stratosphere, Troposphere
D) Troposphere, Mesosphere, Stratosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
Correct Answer: B
The content lists the five layers of the atmosphere. The correct sequence beginning from the ground level is troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.
A) atmospheric structure.
B) major gas composition.
C) relative gas abundance.
D) temperature gradient.
Correct Answer: A
The content identifies the troposphere and thermosphere as layers that form the overall structure of the atmosphere.
A) Mesosphere and Thermosphere
B) Stratosphere and Mesosphere
C) Troposphere and Stratosphere
D) Thermosphere and Exosphere
Correct Answer: C
The content establishes that layers are based on temperature gradients and lists them in order. The troposphere is the lowest layer where temperature generally decreases with altitude. The stratosphere is the next layer up, where temperature begins to increase. Therefore, the change described occurs at the boundary between them.
A) Stratosphere
B) Mesosphere
C) Ionosphere
D) Exosphere
Correct Answer: C
The text explicitly lists the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere as the layers. The ionosphere, while a region of the atmosphere, is not one of the five primary layers defined by temperature gradients in this context.
A) the atmosphere's composition is constantly and unpredictably changing.
B) all gases are equally important regardless of their concentration.
C) the atmosphere is a mixture where some gases are present in much larger quantities than others.
D) temperature gradients are caused by the abundance of gases.
Correct Answer: C
The term 'relative abundance' directly implies a comparison of quantities. In the context of the atmosphere, it means that gases like nitrogen and oxygen make up the vast majority of the air, while others are present in much smaller, or trace, amounts.
A) a single, uniform layer of gases.
B) a series of layers defined by pressure changes.
C) a layered system based on how temperature changes with height.
D) two main layers: the lower atmosphere and the upper atmosphere.
Correct Answer: C
This question synthesizes two points from the content: that the atmosphere has a structure of layers, and that these layers are based on temperature gradients (changes in temperature with height).
A) Thermosphere
B) Exosphere
C) Stratosphere
D) Mesosphere
Correct Answer: B
The content lists the atmospheric layers in order from the surface outward, with the exosphere being the last one mentioned, making it the outermost layer.