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Science Study Guide Unit D, Chapter 7, “Earth’s Weather”
Lessons 1, 2, 3 Vocabulary:
1. atmosphere- air that surrounds the Earth.
2. weather – what the air is like at a given time and place.
3. temperature – measure of how hot or cold something is.
4. air pressure – pressing down force of the air on Earth.
5. water vapor – water in the form of a gas in Earth’s atmosphere.
6. evaporation – changing of liquid into a gas.
7. condensation – changing of gas into a liquid.
8. water cycle – the never-ending path water takes between Earth and the atmosphere.
9. precipitation – water that returns to Earth from the atmosphere. (examples: rain,
snow, sleet, or hail.)
10. air mass – a large body of air.
11. wind – air moving from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure.
12. solid – matter that has a definite shape and takes up a definite amount of space.
13. liquid – matter that takes up a definite amount of space and takes the shape of
its container.
14. gas – matter that has no definite size or shape.
Weather Tools to Know:
1. thermometer – tool for measuring air temperature.
2. barometer – tool for measuring air pressure.
3. anemometer – tool for measuring wind speed.
4. rain gauge – tool for measuring how much precipitation has fallen.
5. weather vane – tool that indicates wind direction.
Concepts to Know from Lessons 1,2, and 3:
1.The atmosphere is made up of different gases and dust.
2.The Earth’s atmosphere is made up of four layers: the troposphere – the layer closest
to Earth and where the weather takes place, the stratosphere – where very strong
winds called the jet stream are located, the mesosphere – the layer between the
stratosphere and the thermosphere, and the thermosphere – the top layer of the
atmosphere and where the northern lights occur.
3. Air temperature is always changing. It is usually warmer during the day than at
night. The Sun heats Earth and the air.
4. Places near Earth’s North and South Poles do not get as much sunlight as places near
the equator. The Sun stays low in the sky near the poles, and this is one reason why it
does not get as warm as the equator.
5.Your body is used to air pressure. However, you notice when air pressure changes
when your ears “pop” when climbing a mountain, riding in an elevator, or flying in an
airplane.
6. Air moves from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure. This moving
air is called wind.
7.Most weather happens when two large bodies of air called air masses meet. Here it
may be stormy, rainy, or cloudy.
8. Everything around you is made up of matter. Matter can be found in three different
forms: solid, liquid, and gas.
9. Scientists describe weather by temperature, air pressure, amount of precipitation, and
by the speed and direction of the wind.
10. Scientists gather data about weather. They use symbols to show the data on
weather maps.