Air Pressure & Density
What does the sky look like when HIGH AIR PRESSURE is in the area?
The sky would have LITTLE TO NO CLOUDS because high pressure pushes air down.
Which could hold more water vapor--cold air or hot air?
A substance with more _______ will have a HIGHER temperature than the same substance with less ______. (same word in both spaces)
KINETIC ENERGY
Under what atmospheric conditions are clouds more likely to form?
LOW AIR PRESSURE and HIGH HUMIDITY
Large hailstones can be hazardous. What type of updrafts produce larger hail?
Clouds with VERY STRONG UPDRAFTS make larger hailstones.
Why do helium balloons float in regular air?
Helium gas is LESS DENSE than air.
What happens to the water vapor in air that has cooled to the dew point?
Air cooled to dew point will CONDENSE and form liquid water.
Why does the dew on the grass in the morning disappear in by later afternoon?
Air becomes warmer throughout the day and EVAPORATION of dew occurs.
A wet-bulb and dry-bulb temperature both read 72 degrees. What does that tell you about the relative humidity?
RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS 100% (air is saturated with water vapor).
What severe weather event is more likely to occur in Salem, IL?
A TORNADO is the most likely severe weather event for Salem, IL
Compare the air pressure right above the ground to air pressure 30,000 ft. above the ground.
Air nearer the ground would show HIGHER AIR PRESSURE than higher up because there is more air above pushing down.
The process of water changing into an invisible gas called water vapor.
What is EVAPORATION?
What factor controls the amount of water vapor the air can hold?
TEMPERATURE--The higher the temp., the more water vapor the air can hold.
What is term for water in solid or liquid form that comes from clouds down to earth's surface?
PRECIPITATION
When hurricane winds speed up, what does that tell us about the air pressure?
As air pressure gets LOWER, winds become stronger in a hurricane.
Why is air in a shady spot denser than air in a very sunny spot?
Molecules in shady air are CLOSER TOGETHER or MORE DENSE than molecules in sunny air.
Amount of water vapor in the air
What is humidity?
What does a BAROMETER measure?
A barometer measures AIR PRESSURE CHANGES
What are small particles in the air necessary for a cloud to form?
What is the most damaging part of a hurricane?
What is STORM SURGE
Compare the size of a balloon in a freezer to the same balloon at room temperature.
FROZEN BALLOON WOULD BE MUCH SMALLER due to cold molecules moving closer together.
What energy source powers the Earth's water cycle?
RADIATION from Sun
What is a comparison of how much water vapor is in the air to the most it could hold at that temperature?
RELATIVE HUMIDITY
If fog, clouds, or dew are present, what does that tell you about the temperature of the air?
Air is cooled to DEW POINT.
What forms when air reaches the dew point and ash or dust is present in air?
CLOUDS or FOG