The Earth's atmosphere protects the Earth and all living things from the sun by______
A. Reflecting the harmful rays from the sun
B. Producing extra clouds at shade the Earth in the sun
C. Blanketing the Earth and keeping heat in
D. Deflecting all space debris back into space
C. Blanketing the Earth and keeping heat in
C. Blanketing the Earth and keeping heat in
To determine the correct answer, let's analyze each option:
A. Reflecting the harmful rays from the sun: While the Earth's atmosphere does reflect some of the sun's rays, it is not the main mechanism by which the atmosphere protects the Earth. This option is not the correct answer.
B. Producing extra clouds that shade the Earth in the sun: While clouds do provide some shade, they are not consistently present in all parts of the Earth's atmosphere. Additionally, clouds do not fully protect the Earth from the sun's harmful effects. Therefore, this option is also not the correct answer.
C. Blanketing the Earth and keeping heat in: This option describes the greenhouse effect. The Earth's atmosphere acts as a blanket, trapping some of the heat radiated by the Earth's surface, which helps to maintain a livable temperature range on our planet. This is the correct answer.
D. Deflecting all space debris back into space: The Earth's atmosphere does not deflect all space debris back into space. Some smaller debris burns up upon entry into the atmosphere, but larger objects can still reach the Earth's surface. This option is not the correct answer.
Considering the above analysis, option C is the correct answer. The Earth's atmosphere protects the Earth and living things from the sun by blanketing the Earth and keeping heat in.