Download Humidity, Clouds, and Precipitation Study Guide

Humidity, Clouds, and Precipitation Study Guide-Ch. 12
Name ____________________________ Class _________________________ Parent signature _________________________
1. When dense cold air pushes beneath warmer atmosphere air, the lighter warmer air rises. As this rises into
the atmosphere, it will cool and condense. What will likely form as a result?
__clouds_________________________________
2. On a hot summer day there are cumulonimbus clouds forming. It is very warm and the barometer is falling.
What will likely happen? _____a thunderstorm___________________
3. 78% of the air is made up of what gas? ___nitrogen_____________________
4. The layer of atmosphere closest to earth is the ___troposphere_________________________________
5. The region of the atmosphere that reflects radio signals is the _______ionosphere_________________.
6. There are three ways in which heat travels. One of these ways is through empty space, we call this
__________radiation_______________.
7. Earth’s surface is heated by _________conduction_________________________.
8. A device that measures air pressure is called ___________barometer___________________.
9. An envelope of gases that surrounds the earth is the ___atmosphere_________________________________.
10. This is colorless, tasteless, and is matter ______air__________________________.
11. This gas makes up about 21% of our atmosphere. ________oxygen________________________.
12. This is the process by which a cell releases energy from food molecules.
______cellular respiration___________________
13. Water vapor plays an important role in weather. Water vapor occurs in the
_________troposphere_________________ layer.
14. Like a bird’s wing, the top of an airplane wing is curved. Air that moves over the top of the wing must travel
farther than air that moves along the bottom. The air moving over the top moves faster so its pressure is lower
than the air pressure on the bottom. This difference in pressure creates lift.
What does the above sentence explain?
_This sentence explains how the curvature of an airplane’s wing creates a difference in air pressure. This
causes lift.
15. In this “middle layer” of the atmosphere the aurora borealis occurs. ____mesosphere
16. _____Radiant_ “energy” is given off by the sun and travels through empty space.
17. The movement of the Sun’s energy through empty space is called __________radiation____________________________
18. Light is a type of _________radiant energy_______ ____________________.
19. Transfer of heat through matter by direct contact. Hint: Like burning your finger on a hot pan from the
oven. conduction
20. Weight is a force. If you hold a book in the palm of your hand, you feel the weight of the book pressing
down. We measure this force in units called ___Newtons__________________________.
21. The amount of force spread out over an area is called _______pressure_________________________.
22. What happens to air pressure as elevations increase? ______________decreases_____________________
23. Under ordinary conditions, the higher the temperature, the lower the air pressure. Heat makes air
molecules move faster. As the molecules move faster, they spread apart.
What is the above sentence trying to say about air? ___Air is less dense the warmer it gets
24. Name two types of barometers ________aneroid_____________ and ___________mercury____________________
25. What does “aneroid” mean? ______”no liquid”___________________________
26. Draw the 4 main types of clouds and write a description for each.
27. What happens when the air is saturated and the temperature decreases (for example, overnight)?
___The water vapor “overflows” from saturated air and condenses to form dew, frost, fog, or
clouds____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What happens when this occurs and it is below freezing? _frost forms__________________________
28. The meteorologist says that the humidity is 100%. What type of humidity is this?
_____relative_________________ What instrument is used to measure this ______psychrometer___________?
29. __Low humidity is generally more comfortable than _____high____________________ humidity.
30. When air molecules are heated, they move more ______quickly___________________ and start to
_________spread____________________ apart. When air molecules are cooled, they move more
________slowly________________________ and move ______together_________________________.
31. Low pressure holds (more/less) water. High pressure holds (more/less) water.
32. Name 3 ways that living organisms add water to the air. _transpiration_________________________________,
___respiration__________________________________, _____perspiration_______________________________.
33. Plants release water vapor into the air through a process called __transpiration _________________________.
They use the _________stomata_________________ in their leaves to do this.
34. When the air is filled to capacity, it is _____saturated__________________________.
35. __Dew________________ forms from condensation when the ground cools the warm air, usually at night.
36. A _____rain_____gauge_______ is used to measure rainfall.
37. Precipitation may be a ____liquid____________________ or a solid.
38. Rain that freezes as it falls to Earth is called _______sleet____________________________________.