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Student Sheet 7.1b: Storms Review
Directions: Review the reading selections in your book, vocabulary, and your student sheets to
prepare for this assessment.
This study guide is for your benefit. Answer the questions completely to help you prepare for the
test.
1. What is a vortex, and what causes it to form?
A vortex is a movement of liquids or gases in a spiral around a central axis. In a storm
it is the calm center area around which clouds spiral.
A vortex forms due to uneven heating, gravity, and the earth's rotation.
2. How does heat transfer between a hot surface and the air? Cold surface and the air?
Heat is transferred from the hot surface to the air above it. Heat is transferred from
the air to the cold surface.
3. How does the air above a heated surface move? Why does it move this way?
When a surface is heated, the heat energy is transferred to the air above it, warming
up the molecules. As air molecules warm, they expand, become less dense and rise.
4. How does the air above a cold surface move? Why does it move this way?
When a surface is cold, the heat energy is transferred from the air above it to the
surface, causing the air to also cool. Cooler air molecules sink to the surface, contract,
and become more dense.
5. What happens when hot air meets cold air?
When hot air meets cold air, the warm air will rise above the cold air, creating an
unstable air mass. As the warm air rises, it will cool and condense onto dust particles
to form clouds.
6. How do hurricanes form?
Hurricanes form when warm, moist air rises over tropical waters.
7. How are hurricanes and tornadoes alike?
- both are rotating columns of air
- strong winds causing destruction
- measured using a scale
8. How are they different?
Tornadoes
- form over land in Tornado Alley
- speed: stand still to >100 kph
- 100 - 600m in diameter
Hurricanes
- form over water in warm areas
- 8 - 24 kph
- 550 km in diamter
9. What role does the sun play in the weather on the Earth?
The interaction of solar energy with air, soil, or water creates wind, rain, and other
elements of weather. Only a small amount of the sun's energy actually reaches Earth. The
sun's energy is trapped in by gases in the Earth's atmosphere and keeps us warm.
10. What causes seasons?
The tilt of the Earth’s axis causes seasons. When we are titled towards the sun, we
experience summer. When we tilt away from the sun, we experience winter. The effect is
opposite in the southern hemisphere.
11. What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is when greenhouse gases trap in Earth’s heat to maintain
temperature suitable for life. Too many greenhouse gases can lead to global warming and
climate change.
12. What is a convection current?
A convection current is a circulating flow of air or water resulting from uneven heating.
Examples are land and sea breezes and ocean currents.
How would the air circulate around this room?
13. Think about the investigation in Lesson 3 when you heated soil and water. Then answer the
following questions:
a. How did you set up your investigation to make a fair test?
-same amount of soil and water
- beakers set same distance from light
- digital thermometers located at the same depth in beaker
b. Which heated faster: soil or water? Why do you think this happened?
The soil heats up faster and cools down faster. The soil only heats the top layer since it
cannot move. Therefore the heat just hits the surface which allows it to warm up faster
and lose its heat faster.
c. Which held its heat longer: soil or water? Why do you think this happened?
The water held its heat longer. The water is constantly circulating the heat that it
receives from the sun (lamp). So the entire body of water is being heated up rather
than just the surface, which means it will also take longer to remove the heat.
14. Look at your graph from Lesson 3.
a. What does the soil curve look like? Why does it look that way?
The soil curve looks like a mountain because it heats up quickly and cools down just as
quickly.
b. What does the water curve look like? Why does it look that way?
The water curve goes up slowly, then plateaus. This is because it heats up slowly, than
keeps it heat.
15. Study the illustration of Tornado Alley on page 65. Answer the following:
a. What states make up Tornado Alley?
Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri
b. What causes tornadoes to form in Tornado Alley?
The meeting of cool, dry air from Canada and the Rockies with warm, moist air from
the Gulf of Mexico to create an unstable boundary, causing thunderstorms and other
unstable weather.
16. Take another look at the illustration of a sea breeze and a land breeze on page 59. What is a
sea breeze, and when does it form?
1) During the day, land heats up faster than water
2) The warm land heats up the air above it creating warm rising air and a Low
pressure area
3) Cool air over the water moves in to replace the rising warm air over the land.
17. Look at the illustration of the water cycle on page 72. Describe the water cycle and how
clouds form.
1) Water evaporates as water vapor from a body of water
2) As water vapor rises with the air, it reaches cooler temperatures in the troposphere.
3) Because cool air cannot hold as much water as warm air, the water vapor condenses
back into a liquid.
4) Liquid drops of water collect on dust particles to form clouds.
5) As some point, the clouds release precipitation which falls back to the surface.
6) The water returns to the bodies of water as groundwater or surface runoff.
7) The cycle repeats
18. Look at the weather maps on page 70.
a. Where is the pressure high? What is the weather like there?
High pressure means clear skies.
b. Where is the pressure low? What is the weather like there? Why?
Low pressure means stormy weather.
c. Find a front. Where is it? What is the weather like there?
Weather near a front is typically unstable. Unstable air masses will rise, creating
clouds and precipitation.
d. Draw the symbols for both a warm front and a cold front.
e. In what direction is the weather moving across the United States? Why is it moving
in this direction? How can this help meteorologists?
Weather moves from west to east due to the westerlies. Meteorologists are able to better
predict the weather because they know where it is coming from.
19. After we have completed Lesson 7, answer the following questions.
a. How do some deep ocean currents form?
- heat from the sun
- wind
- salinity
- land masses acting as barriers
- rotation of the Earth
b. How do ocean currents affect air temperatures around the world?
Ocean currents, along with wind, transfer heat from tropical areas near the equator to
the Polar Regions where it is colder. This movement of heat energy, known as
convection, works to moderate the climates on Earth. The polar regions are warmer
than they would be without the currents and the equatorial regions are cooler.