Rayleigh fractionation

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/rayleigh-fractionation

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Rayleigh fractionation?Modeling isotopic composition of precipitation (meteoric water)
2. What is the related scientific disciplines?Geochemistry, hydrology, meteorology, physical chemistry, paleoclimatology
3. Why does the vapor from evaporation have different isotopes than the liquid?The vapor that leaves the liquid is lighter because lighter isotopes have a higher vapor pressure and move faster, so they leave first.
4. How do scientists use Rayleigh fractionation to learn about past climates?By measuring the amounts of heavy and light isotopes in snow or ice, scientists can figure out how warm or cold the air was and how high the cloud was when the snow fell.

Stable Isotopes: Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons, which do not undergo radioactive decay.
Partitioning Coefficient: A ratio describing how a substance distributes itself between two different phases at equilibrium.
Reservoir: A body of material (e.g., liquid water, gas) whose isotopic composition is being studied.