Weather Basics
This term describes the short-term conditions of the atmosphere at a specific time and place.
Answer: weather
This is the force created by the weight of air pressing down on Earth’s surface.
Answer: air pressure
Compared to cold air, warm air is less _____ because its particles are farther apart.
Answer: dense
This term describes the amount of water vapor present in the air.
Answer: humidity
This is a large body of air with similar temperature and humidity throughout.
Answer: air mass
This word describes the long-term average weather patterns of a region over many years.
Answer: climate
This is the movement of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
Answer: wind
Because it is more dense, cold air tends to _______.
Answer: sink
This measurement tells us the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to how much the air can hold at that temperature.
Answer: relative humidity
This is the boundary where two different air masses meet.
Answer: front
This measurement tells us how hot or cold the air is outside.
Answer: temperature
When a region is under high air pressure, it usually experiences this type of weather condition.
Answer: clear skies
Because it is less dense, warm air tends to _______.
Answer: rise
This process occurs when water vapor cools and changes into tiny liquid droplets forming clouds.
Answer: condensation
A cold front typically brings sudden temperature drops and this type of weather.
Answer: storms
This term refers to any form of water that falls from clouds to Earth’s surface, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
Answer: precipitation
Low pressure systems often bring this type of weather because air is rising and cooling.
Answer: storms
This process describes the circular movement of air caused by warm air rising and cold air sinking.
Answer: convection
When droplets in clouds grow large and heavy enough, they fall to Earth as this.
Answer: precipitation
A warm front usually brings steady precipitation and this type of cover.
Answer: clouds
Name one factor meteorologists measure to describe weather conditions besides temperature.
Answer: humidity
These curved lines on a weather map connect areas that have equal air pressure.
Answer: isobars
Uneven heating of Earth happens mainly because sunlight strikes different places at different _____.
Answer: angles
Clouds most often form when warm moist air rises, cools, and begins to do this.
Answer: condense
Most weather changes happen because Earth is heated unevenly by this source of energy.
Answer: Sun