Atmosphere and Air Pressure
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather - temporary state of the atmosphere at any given time and place
Climate - general conditions of a region in a particular season
What are the three ways that heat is transferred in the atmosphere?
1. Conduction
2. Convection
3. Radiation
What causes the seasons to occur? (Hint: just say how each hemisphere is tilted)
*whatever part of Earth that is facing the sun, experiences summer
*whatever part of Earth that is facing away from the sun, experiences winter
*whatever part of Earth tilts neither toward nor away from the sun, it could fall or spring
What is humidity?
Humidity - general term for the amount of water vapor in the air
What is fog? How does it form?
Fog - a cloud close to the ground, but is just above
Fog forms when water vapor in the air is cooled by the ground and it condenses into a liquid
What is the percentage of each gas in the atmosphere?
78% - Nitrogen
21% - Oxygen
1% - Trace gasses
What is conduction?
Conduction - direct contact of hot ground warming air above
What are the four forms of precipitation?
1. Rain
2. Snow
3. Sleet
4. Hail
Can warm air hold more water vapor than cold/cool air?
Yes
What causes air pressure to change?
Warmer air has less pressure pushing down, while colder air has more pressure pushing down.
What is air pressure and where is it the greatest?
Air pressure - the amount of air pushing down on us
It is greatest at the surface of the Earth due to air pushing down, and the fact that it is closer to Earth's gravity.
What is convection?
Convection - circular currents of air starting at the hot ground
What is water vapor?
Water vapor is water in the gas form.
What is relative humidity?
Relative Humidity - the amount of water vapor in the air compared with maximum amount of water vapor that the air can hold at a certain temperature
How does wind occur?
Wind occurs when air flows from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
TRUE OR FALSE: The atmosphere has five layers that remain separate due to density differences.
TRUE
What is radiation?
Radiation - heat from the sun that is absorbed by the ground and the air
Water has different phases. What happens to water during these four phases?
Melting, Freezing, Evaporation, and Condensation
What does it mean when the air is saturated?
Saturation of air - when the air holds as much water vapor as the air can hold
FILL IN THE BLANK: (Hotter, Colder) air has more energy than (hotter, colder) air.
Hotter air has more energy than colder air.
What is rotation and how long does it take? What is revolution and how long does it take?
Rotation - spinning of Earth on its axis
*Earth rotates every 24 hours
Revolution - movement around the sun
*one revolution takes 365.25 days
How do clouds form?
Clouds form when water vapor goes from gas to liquid due to cooler temperatures. It then condenses onto dust particles in the air.
What is dew point?
FILL IN THE BLANK: ________ temperatures at dew point will not feel as humid as when dew point is reached.
1. Dew Point - the temperature at which air is saturated on a given day
2. Cooler temperatures at dew point will not feel as humid as when dew point is reached.