WGU C165 OA EXAM INTEG PHYSICAL SCIENCES OA 2026-2027 400 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS 7

WGU C165 OA EXAM INTEG PHYSICAL SCIENCES

OA 2026-2027 400

QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED

ANSWERS

Describe how and why air density changes with changes in altitude. -

ANSWER- Air density decreases with an increase in altitude because air

particles have mass and are pulled down by Earth's gravity.

Density is defined as - ANSWER- mass divided by volume.

Nitrogen is about _____ of the Earths atmosphere - ANSWER- 78%

A mechanical wave cannot travel through a - ANSWER- vacuum.

In which layer is the ozone layer located? - ANSWER- Stratosphere

Where does Earth's weather happen? - ANSWER- Troposphere

The troposphere is - ANSWER- the densest of the atmospheric layers.

The exosphere is the least - ANSWER- dense atmospheric layer.

The International Space Station orbits Earth within the - ANSWERthermosphere.

This is the coldest layer, with temperatures down to -90°C (194°F). The

air is very thin, but still thick enough to burn up meteors. - ANSWERMesosphere

Temperatures are very high here, although the density of air molecules is

very low. The International Space Station orbits in this layer. -

ANSWER- Thremosphere

The air is very thin here. A vacuum exists above this layer. - ANSWERexosphere.

Sound waves cannot travel in a vacuum because - ANSWER- they are

mechanical waves

Atmospheric pressure increases as humidity - ANSWER- decreases.

Temperature decreases with altitude in the - ANSWER- troposphere.

The warm, moist air has a lower pressure and will - ANSWER- rise

above the cold, dry air.

Air pressure decreases with - ANSWER- temperature and humidity, so a

warm, moist air mass will have a lower pressure than a cold, dry air

mass.

A pure substance contains - ANSWER- a single type of element or

compound.

Warm air is less dense than - ANSWER- cold air

Wind strength depends on differences in - ANSWER- air pressure

Which of the following factors MOST DIRECTLY affect the strength

and direction of winds? - ANSWER- differences in air pressure and

Earth's rotation

Because of the tilt of Earth, different latitudes on Earth experience

different - ANSWER- temperatures

These prevailing winds were originally blowing from the equator toward

the - ANSWER- South Pole.

prevailing winds - ANSWER- get deflected from north-south direction,

due to the Coriolis effect, which exists because of Earth's rotation.

Which statement describes the trade winds? - ANSWER- The trade

winds travel toward the low-pressure system near the equator but veer

westward because of the Coriolis effect.

As warm air rises it tends to - ANSWER- cool and become more dense

The largest reservoir(s) of freshwater (non-salt) on Earth is (are) -

ANSWER- Glaciers and ice caps

The water cycle is driven by - ANSWER- solar energy and gravity.

When a cloud forms water vapor condenses - ANSWER- which releases

heat

Which of the following processes absorb heat and release water vapor to

the atmosphere? - ANSWER- Both evaporation and transpiration absorb

heat to convert liquid water to water vapor.

Condensation is a phase change from - ANSWER- gas to liquid.

Evaporation is a phase change from - ANSWER- liquid to gas.

Rain falls back toward Earth's surface because of - ANSWER- gravity