Scientific Skills
What is a testable explanation for an observation called?
Hypothesis
What process turns liquid water into water vapor?
Evaporation
What atmospheric layer is closest to Earth’s surface?
Troposphere
What term refers to the amount of water vapor in the air?
Humidity
What is the main driver of the water cycle and Earth’s climate?
Sun
What step of the scientific method involves trying out the hypothesis?
Experiment
What boundary separates two watersheds?
Divide
What gas-driven phenomenon warms Earth’s surface?
Greenhouse Effect
What fast-moving air current steers weather systems?
Jet-Streams
What long-term pattern of weather defines a region?
Climate
Which variable is purposely changed in an experiment?
Independent
What process occurs when water vapor cools and changes back into liquid droplets?
Condensation
What type of heat transfer moves through direct contact?
Conduction
Which type of front usually brings thunderstorms?
Cold
What tool measures air pressure and helps determine weather?
Barometer
What do we call a scientific explanation that has been tested repeatedly and is supported by evidence?
Theory
What property of water causes it to stick to itself?
Cohesion
What atmospheric layer contains the ozone layer?
Stratosphere
What temperature causes air to become saturated and form dew?
Dew Point
What major climate factor is determined by distance from the equator?
Latitude
What term describes factors in an experiment that must be kept the same to ensure a fair test?
Constant/Control
What process moves nutrient-rich water upward in the ocean?
Upwelling
What global wind belt influences weather in the United States?
What long-term increase in Earth’s temperature is caused by excess greenhouse gases?
Global Warming
What factor causes cooler temperatures at high elevations?
Altitude
What is important in experiments to make sure results are consistent?
Replication - Do it multiple times!
What do we call underground water stored in porous rock?
Aquifer
What energy transfer method involves electromagnetic waves traveling through space?
Radiation
What is the boundary that forms when two air masses meet?
front
What mountain-related effect creates dry regions on one side?
Rain Shadow