Scientific Investigations
What do we call an educated guess about what you think will happen in an investigation?
A hypothesis
Which sphere includes all the water on Earth?
Hydrosphere
What type of heat transfer comes from the sun as waves?
Radiation
What do we call a large body of air with similar temperature and humidity?
Air Mass
What severe storm forms over warm ocean water and has strong winds and rain?
What is the first step of the scientific method?
Question / Identify or define the problem
Which sphere includes all rocks, soil, and landforms on Earth?
Geosphere
What type of heat transfer happens through direct contact?
Conduction
What kind of front usually brings cooler temperatures?
Cold Front
What kind of storm has a spinning column of air that touches the ground?
Tornado
What step of the scientific method involves testing your hypothesis?
Experiment
What layer of the atmosphere is closest to Earth’s surface and is where weather occurs?
Troposphere
Which type of heat transfer moves through currents in liquids and gases? (Warm air/water rises...)
Convection
What is the narrow, fast-flowing river of air high in the atmosphere that blows generally from West to East called? (Polar and Subtropical)
Jet Stream
What do we call rocks breaking into smaller pieces without changing the material?
Weathering
What do we call a scientific idea that explains why something happens and is supported by lots of evidence?
A scientific theory
Why is Earth’s atmosphere important for living things?
1. It gives us air to breathe 2. Keeps us warm (Greenhouse Effect) 3. Protects us from harmful radiation and meteors
Name any TWO elements of weather.
Temperature, precipitation, air pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, visibility, clouds.
What type of pressure system usually brings clear, calm weather? (High or Low?)
High Pressure System
What do we call the movement of sediments from one place to another?
Erosion
What do we call a statement that describes what happens in nature and is always the same under the same conditions?
A scientific law
Think of any interaction that occurs between the hydrosphere and the atmosphere.
Water evaporates into the atmosphere (the water cycle).
Ocean currents affecting air temperature / climate.
What is the main difference between weather and climate?
Weather is short-term; climate is long-term.
What breeze happens at night when cooler land air moves toward the sea?
Land Breeze
Is ice wedging (when water seeps into cracks in rocks, freezes, and expands, eventually causing the rock to break apart) a form of physical or chemical weathering?
Physical Weathering