Wonderful Water
This atom in a water molecule acts as the "electron hog," giving it a slight negative charge.
What is oxygen
When a surface wave travels across the ocean, this is the only thing actually moving from one place to another.
What is energy
This "necessary design feature" acts like a cozy blanket to keep the Earth warm enough for life.
What is the Greenhouse Effect
Meteorologists use this term to describe the boundary where two different air masses meet.
What is a weather front
Proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus, this model of the solar system places the Sun at the center.
What is the heliocentric view
Unlike most substances that shrink when freezing, water does this, allowing it to float.
What is expand
This phenomenon, caused by the Earth's rotation, forces ocean currents to follow curved, oval paths.
What is the Coriolis Effect
This specific 23.5-degree "lean" is the primary reason Earth experiences different seasons.
What is axial tilt
Inside a storm cloud, the stripping away of these tiny particles creates the charge imbalance needed for lightning.
What are electrons
This scientific method allows scientists to identify chemical elements in the sun by analyzing light wavelengths.
What is spectroscopy
This term describes water's ability to act like an "energy sponge," absorbing massive heat with little temperature change.
What is heat capacity
Cold water sinks to the bottom of the ocean because it is more of "this" than hot water.
What is dense (or compact)
Wind is generated when air moves due to differences in this.
What is air pressure
This is a measurement of how much water vapor is in the air compared to the maximum amount it could hold.
What is relative humidity
The sun acts like a "nuclear engine" rather than a chemical fire because it uses this process to produce heat.
What is nuclear fusion
his property acts like "molecular glue," allowing separate water droplets to join together into larger drops.
What is cohesion
Tides are caused primarily by the gravitational pull of these two celestial bodies.
What are the moon and the sun
The sky appears blue because high-energy blue light hits molecules in the atmosphere and does this.
What is scattering
This laboratory tool was rubbed against hair to model how charge builds up in a mature storm cloud.
What is a balloon
This self-correcting balance occurs when the inward pull of gravity is perfectly offset by the outward push of heat.
What is hydrostatic equilibrium
This is the natural movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
What is diffusion
This vital process occurs when wind pushes surface water away from a coast, allowing nutrient-rich cold water to rise.
What is upwelling
These tiny particles, like smoke or dust, provide a surface for water vapor to condense and form clouds.
What are cloud condensation nuclei
During our distillation lab, we learned that water is purified because salt does not do this when water boils.
What is evaporate (or turn into vapor)
The moon's gravity helps life on Earth by stabilizing this, which maintains a constant climate.
What is the Earth's tilt