Download Water Cycle and Weather

Water Cycle and Weather
By Kaitlyn Muth
Ms. Tabor’s Science class
Fall 2011
The water cycle
The process of the water cycle is first water gets warm
from the sun. When it gets warm enough, it
evaporates. Evaporation is when water vapor rises into
the sky. Condensation is when water vapor becomes
liquid again, but stays in the sky.
Precipitation is when the clouds
can not hold the water vapor
anymore, so it drops to the ground.
Solids, Liquids, and Gases
 Solid- is hard and firm
 Ex. ice
 Liquid- has volume and its shape can change
 Ex. water
 Gas- is something that will spread to fill the space it is
in
 Ex. water vapor
4 forms of precipitation
Rain
Sleet
Hail
Snow
Formation of clouds
Clouds form when water vapor in the air condenses.
Stratus clouds
Stratus clouds are low level clouds that form in layers.
They usually bring rain.
Cumulus clouds
Cumulus clouds are fluffy and flat on the bottom. They
form low in the sky and usually mean fair weather.
Cirrus clouds
Cirrus clouds are thin and look like feathers. They are
made of ice crystals and form high in the sky. They
mean the weather is fair.
Cumulonimbus clouds
Cumulonimbus clouds bring thunderstorms!!
Climate and Weather
Compare- Climate and weather are both about the weather
conditions of a place.
Contrast- Climate is the usual weather condition of a place.
Different areas of the world have different climates (ex. polar,
tropical, temperate).
Weather is all the conditions of the atmosphere at a certain time
and place ( ex. temperature, wind, air pressure and amount of
water vapor).
Thermometer
A thermometer measures your fever, well in weather it
measures the temperature of air.
Rain Gauge
A rain gauge measures the amount of precipitation that
has fallen.
Barometer
A barometer measures air pressure.
Wind Vane
A wind vane measures the direction of the wind.
Anemometer
An anemometer measures the speed of the wind.
Cold and Warm Fronts
Compare – cold and warm fronts are both air masses.
Contrast – cold fronts are formed as a cold air mass
meets a warm air mass. Thunderstorms often occur
along cold fronts. Warm fronts are formed
as a warm air mass pushes into a cold air
mass. Warm fronts can bring steady
precipitation.
Summary
The water cycle includes evaporation, condensation and precipitation. Solids, liquids and gases
are all in the water cycle. There are four forms of precipitation: hail, sleet, rain and snow. Clouds
form when water vapor in the air condenses. There are four types of clouds: stratus, cumulus,
cirrus and cumulonimbus.
Weather is all the conditions of the atmosphere at a certain time and place. Climate is the usual
weather pattern in a certain place. A thermometer measures temperature, a rain gauge
measures precipitation, a barometer measures air pressure, a wind vane measures wind
direction and a anemometer measures wind speed.
A cold front forms when a cold air mass meets a warm air mass. Thunderstorms often occur on
a cold front. A warm front forms as warm air pushes into a cold air mass. Steady precipitation
often occurs on a warm front.
Kaitlyn’s favorite part: the four different types of clouds.