Key Concepts
When liquid water becomes warmer it can ______ and become ______ in the air. All air contains water.
evaporate...water vapor ...
Name the 3 main components of a water cycle.
evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
Why does an air parcel rise?
Because the heat from the sun transfers into the parcel, causing it to fly upwards.
( It flies upwards because cold air stays near the grounds while hot air goes up)
Describe a cirrus cloud.
A thin wispy cloud
If an _______ is warmer than the surrounding air it will rise.
Air parcel
when water vapor in an _____ cools, it can condense into liquid water which can form a ____ and fall as rain.
air parcel... cloud...
Where does the water cycle start?
From the sun
A balloon looks kind of like an air parcel. Why does that rise?
The balloon rises because the atmosphere is cold while the hot air balloon is hot.
Describe a stratus cloud
a dark, gloomy, foggy cloud that stretches over a large distance
As an air parcel rises, ______ transfers from the warm air parcel to the cold surrounding air until their ____ becomes equal.
energy... temperature...
______ transfers from warm air to cold air until their temperatures become equal.
Energy
Give an example of a water cycle route.
ex. = sun-> puddles, lakes, oceans-> evaporation (water vapor in the atmosphere)-> condensation ( the water vapor combines and turns into clouds), precipitation (water vapors combine and fall as rain, sleet, or hail).
What causes an air parcel to cool?
An air parcel cools when it transfers it's energy to the atmposphere
Describe a cumulus cloud.
A fluffy looking cloud that normally appears in white and grey coloring and is normally said to like a cotton ball.
When an air parcel starts with a higher temperature, it will rise higher and lose more______causing more rainfall.
energy
The more a(n) ______ loses energy and cools, the more rainfall can happen.
air parcel
Why does the energy from a sun transfer to the ground instead of the air?
Because the air is an insulator, meaning it doesn't absorb heat and energy well.
What causes the parcel to stop rising?
The air parcel stops rising when it reaches equilibrium with average kinetic energy of the atmosphere
Describe a contrail
A thin strip of cloud caused by airplanes in the sky. Most of the time, this cloud appears to be white, but light grey is possible to spot too.
Systems go through periods of _____ and periods of change.
stability
The_______ is warmest at the surface and coldest at its highest point.
troposphere
Can clouds appear beyond the troposphere?
Yes!
If an air parcel doesn't have heat from the sun, will it still go up?
NO
Describe a stratonimbus
A dark, grey colored cloud that normally is filled with sleet and hail.
Whats your favorite type of cloud?
Your choice