Key Concepts
The more a(n)______loses energy and cools, the more rainfall can happen.
What is an air parcel?
Definition of air parcel
What is an amount of air that moves as a unit?
Day 1 and Day 2 in Greenville started with the same amount of water vapor in the air parcels there. It rained at the end of Day 2 but it did not rain at the end of Day 1. What could have happened to the air parcel to cause rainfall on Day 2?
What is the air parcel was warmer than the surrounding air, so it lost energy.
Systems go through periods of ______ and periods of change.
What is stability?
the process by which a gas changes into a liquid
What is condensation?
There were two rainstorms in Marion last month. Before Storm 1, Marion’s temperature at the surface was 26°C. Before Storm 2, the air temperature at the surface was 14°C. The temperature of areas surrounding Marion was the same before both storms. Which storm is likely to have had more rainfall?
What is the air parcel at the surface was warmer and had more energy, so when it moved higher, it lost more energy.
What is evaporate and become water vapor?
the force on a surface caused by the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on Earth
What is air pressure?
Rochelle had two rainstorms in February. Storm 1 had more rainfall than Storm 2. The temperature of the surrounding areas was the same before both storms.
What conditions could have caused Storm 1 to have more rainfall than Storm 2?
Before Storm 1, Rochelle could have been:
What is warmer than before Storm 2 and windy. Wind pushed the warmer air parcel even higher and the air parcel lost more energy.
The _______ is warmest at the surface and coldest at its highest point.
What is troposphere?
the process by which a liquid changes into a gas
What is evaporation?
Air Parcel 1 is the same temperature as the surrounding air. Air parcel 2 is warmer than the surrounding air. Air Parcel 1 and Air Parcel 2 started with the same amount of water vapor in them. Which air parcel will have more rainfall and why?
What is
Air Parcel 2 will lose energy to the surrounding air, which will cause more water vapor to fall as rain.
As an air parcel rises, _____ transfers from the warm air parcel to the cold surrounding air until their ________ become equal.
What is energy and until their temperatures become equal?
a measure of how much water vapor is in the air
What is humidity?
The town of San Angelo had two rainstorms in July. Storm 1 had more rainfall than Storm 2. The temperature of the surrounding areas was the same before both storms.
What could explain why Storm 1 had more rainfall than Storm 2?
Before Storm 1, the air parcel at the surface could have been:
What is warmer, so when the air parcel moved higher, it lost more energy?