Download Temperature: a measure of the average movement of particles of

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Weather Watch Study Guide
Learning Set 1
 1.1
Temperature: a
measure of the average movement of particles of
matter (kinetic energy).
measure of the amount of water vapor in the air
compared to the maximum Possible amount that air can hold
at a particular temperature; given as a percent, between 0
percent and 100 percent
Relative humidity:
Weather: conditions
in the atmosphere, including temperature,
humidity, precipitation, air pressure, and wind direction and
speed
Climate: the
normal weather conditions of a region,
throughout the year, averaged over a series of years
 1.2

Wind is measured in two ways: _SPEED
& DIRECTION
 1.3
 Fronts in the US primarily move from ___WEST_

to _EAST_.
Indicators of a storm approaching includes: ___winds
increasing, air
pressure dropping, and clouds forming__.

Weather is different than climate because _WEATHER
REFERS TO
CONDITIONS day to day in the atmosphere VS. CLIMATE
DESCRIBES conditions over the whole year.
 1.4

When a cold front moves into an area it can cause: temps
at surface to
drop, cloud formation, wind and rain
 A warm front can cause change in weather, increase in temperature,
wind and rain.
 When a cold front meets a warm front cold air moves under warm air and
clouds form.
 When air masses move they create changes in weather, carry thermal
energy, AND cause wind.
 Weather maps help you predict what the weather is going to be like the following day.
Learning Set 2
 2.1
 Weather maps have 3 main purposes, they are: help predict future weather
events, determine direction fronts are moving, predict rain and
temperatures across U.S.
 As you move from North TO South in the US the temperatures increase.
 2.2
 Temperature measures average movement (kinetic energy) of particles
of matter.
 Thermal energy: The energy of motion of the particles of matter in a
substance
 When air temperatures increase the movement of particles increases.
 When particles move faster they spread apart. This makes the air less dense.
 3 types of heat transfer are ___conduction___, __convection_,
__radiation__.
 Air just above Earth’s surface is heated by _ conduction _.
 The amount of energy reaching Earth’s surface affects the temperatures of _surface of
Earth, air, water.
 2.3 (CLIP BOARD/FLASHLIGHT- TILTED IT)
 The temperature of the air in a location depends on how much solar energy Earth’s surface
has absorbed. The amount of solar energy Earth’s surface receives depends on how
directly the sunlight strikes that location. The more directly that the incoming solar
energy strikes Earth, the more the surface of Earth will heat up. Near the equator,
solar energy strikes Earth’s surface directly. As you move toward the Poles, solar
energy strikes the surface indirectly. Because of this, air temperatures tend to
decrease as you move north or south of the Equator toward the poles.
 2.4
 Rotation: ONE complete TURN of a planet around its axis
 Revolution: the ORBITAL motion of one body in space around
another. (Earth around the sun)
 If there was no tilt, there would be no seasons!!! tilt = reason for the seasons
 When it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere the North Pole is tilted towards the
sun.
 2.5
 Seasons are opposite in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
 Primary reason for the seasons is due to the tilt of the earth on its axis.
 2.6
 Specific heat capacity is a measure of how much heat energy it takes to raise the
temperature of 1 g of a substance by 1°C. Water warms up and cools down SLOWER
than an equal mass of sand, because it has a HIGHER specific heat capacity than sand.
**WATER TAKES LONGER TO HEAT UP AND COOL DOWN.
 Why does the temperature drop when clouds cover a region? Some of the sun’s
energy is reflected by the clouds
Learning Set 3
 3.1
 The _EAST_ coast receives more annual rainfall than the _WEST_ coast.
 3.2
 On Earth, the Sun’s radiation provides _thermal energy_ that changes water’s state from
_LIQUID_ to __GAS_. In this way, the Sun provides the energy that causes rain.
 3.3
 When water is a liquid, there are forces between the water molecules that are strong
enough to hold the molecules together so they cannot move freely on their own. As thermal
energy is transferred to the water, molecules move faster. Some molecules move faster
than others. Molecules that are near the surface move fast enough that they can overcome
the attractive force and they move away from the surface of the liquid into the air. They
have enough energy to escape and become a gas. This process of _EVAPORATION_ is an
important part of the water cycle.
 3 main parts of the Water Cycle: _EVAPORATION_, _CONDENSATION_,
__PRECIPITATION and (TRANSPIRATION)___
 Water molecules in ice have _LESS_ thermal energy than molecules in liquid. We know
this because ice is colder than water.
 Water molecules in vapor have _MORE_ thermal energy than those in a liquid.
 3.4
 Warm air can hold _MORE_ water vapor than cool air.
 When does the water cycle stop? __NEVER!!!_____
 _THE SUN__ gives the energy to drive the water cycle.
 3.5
 The amount of PRECIPITATION_ that a region receives depends on several factors,
including the distance from a large body of water and the presence or absence of tall
mountains.
Learning Set 4
 4.1
 Finding the trade winds helped sailor’s DECREASE_ travel time.
 4.2
 Air moves from areas of _HIGH_ pressure to areas of _LOW_ pressure.
 Wind is caused by _WARM_ air rising and being replaced by _COLD_ air.
 4.3
 Global Winds are influenced by the Earth’s _ROTATION_.
 The jet stream is _HIGH ALTITUDE TRADE WINDS THAT CIRCLE THE GLOBE AND
HELP WEATHER PATTERNS MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS U.S._.
 The Coriolis Effect causes wind and ocean currents to _CURVE, BE DEFLECTED, OR
ROTATE_.
 4.4
 Because of the jet stream weather moves from _WEST_ to _EAST_ across the US.
 4.5
 Ocean currents influence COASTAL climates by: _STORING SOLAR ENERGY AND
DISTRIBUTING IT AROUND THE WORLD_, _CARRYING WARM WATER TO
NORTHERN AREAS_, _BRINGING COOL WATER FROM POLAR AREAS WHICH
KEEP SOUTHER COASTAL AREAS COOLER_.
**OCEAN CURRENTS INFLUENCE REGIONAL CLIMATES BY CARRYING
THERMAL ENERGY FROM LOWER LATITUDES NORTHWARDS
 Convection currents occur due to _DIFFERENCES_ in heat energy.
 4.6
 Clouds form when _WARM, MOIST ARIE RISES AND COOLS, (WATER EVEAPROTES
AND TURNS INTO WATER VAPOR, WATER VAPOR CONDENSES ON DUST/DIRT)_.
 Clouds can be used to _PREDICT PRECIPTIATION__, _INDICATE WHAT WEATHER
TO EXPECT_, _DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF FRONT IS MOVING IN_.
 4.7
 Severe weather can be predicted by large differences in air pressure, a sudden change in
temperature and by studying a _CLIMATE_ map.
 Hurricanes form over the _WATER_ while Tornadoes form over _LAND_.
 The factor of _COLLIDING_ _AIR_ _MASSES_ is common to all severe weather events.