Download Study Guide for Weather and Climate Unit Test Jan 2013

Study Guide for Weather & Climate Unit Test - January 2013
1. What are the two most abundant gases in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen and Oxygen
2. Explain why air in the atmosphere has pressure.
Because air has mass, gravity pulls down on air molecules in the atmosphere. Because
air is a fluid, the result of the pull of gravity is pressure.
3. What happens to pressure in the atmosphere as altitude increases?
As altitude increase, pressure in the atmosphere decreases.
4. In which layer of the atmosphere does weather occur?
Weather occurs in the Troposphere.
5. What is the atmosphere?
The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth.
6. What is the major source of energy for winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle?
The major source of energy for winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle is the Sun.
7. What is water vapor?
Water vapor is water (H2O) in the form of a gas.
8. The layers of the atmosphere are classified according to changes in _________________.
Temperature
9. What causes wind?
Wind is caused by uneven heating of the atmosphere, which causes higher and lower
pressure areas to form. The air moves horizontally from the higher pressure to the lower
pressure.
10. How do local winds differ from global winds?
Local winds differ from global winds in that the unequal heating of the atmosphere
occurs within a small area.
11. How do clouds form?
Clouds form when water vapor in the air condenses and becomes liquid water or ice
crystals.
12. What is precipitation?
Precipitation is any form of water (rain, sleet, hail, or snow) that falls from the clouds.
13. What two factors are used to classify climates?
Climates are classified according to temperature and precipitation.
14. Where (on Earth) are the Sun’s rays the least direct and transfer the least amount of
energy to Earth’s surface?
The Sun’s rays are least direct at the poles (North and South.)
15. Draw and label a diagram of the water cycle.