Download Chapter 7 Study Guide - Mr. Dudley

Chapter 7 Study Guide
Define the following terms:
1.
biome – a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain
types of plant and animal communities.
2.
latitude – the distance north or south from the equator; expressed in degrees
3.
weather – the short-term state of the atmosphere, including temperature,
humidity, precipitation, wind, & visibility
4.
surface current – a horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind
and that occurs at or near the ocean’s surface.
5.
elevation – the height of an object above sea level
6.
climate – the average weather condition in an area over a long period of time.
7.
prevailing winds – winds that blow mainly from one direction during a given
period.
8.
precipitation – any form of water that falls to the Earth’s surface from the clouds.
9.
condensation – the change of state from a gas to a liquid.
10.
humidity – the amount of water vapor in the air.
11.
relative humidity – the ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air to the
maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a set temperature.
12.
cloud – a collection of small water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air,
which forms when the air is cooled and condensation occurs.
13.
front – the boundary between air masses of different densities and usually
different temperatures.
14.
anticyclone – the rotation of air around a high-pressure center in the direction
opposite to Earth’s rotation.
15.
cyclone – an area in the atmosphere that has lower pressure than the surrounding
areas and has winds that spiral toward the center.
16.
air mass – a large body of air where temperature and moisture content are
constant throughout.
17.
thunderstorm – a usually brief, heavy storm that consists of rain, strong winds,
lightning, and thunder.
18.
lightning – an electric discharge that takes place between two oppositely charged
surfaces, such as between a cloud and the ground, between two clouds, or
between two parts of the same cloud.
19.
thunder – the sound caused by the rapid expansion of air along an electrical strike.
20.
tornado – a destructive, rotating column of air that has very high wind speeds, is
visible as a funnel-shaped cloud, and touches the ground.
21.
hurricane – a severe storm that develops over tropical oceans and whose strong
winds of more than 120 km/h spiral in toward the intensely low-pressure storm
center.
22.
thermometer – an instrument that measures and indicates temperature.
23.
barometer – an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.
24.
anemometer – an instrument used to measure wind speed.
Directions : Answer the following questions. You should be able to answer most of the
questions simply by looking through your notes. Some you make have to look in
your book.
1.
What are the two characteristics of climate? Temperature & precipitation
2.
There are five factors that influence climates. What are they? Latitude,
mountains, prevailing winds, ocean currents, & large bodies of water
3.
Describe the difference between weather and climate. Weather is the condition
of the atmosphere at a particular time. Weather conditions vary from day to
day and include temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, & visibility.
Climate is the average weather condition in an area over a long period of
time.
4.
What does the term saturated mean? Saturated means when air holds all of the
water that it can at a given temperature. Saturated air has a relative
humidity of 100%.
5.
Describe what happens to the temperature on a mountain as the elevation begins
to increase. The temperature decreases.
6.
Why does one side of a mountain usually have more precipitation than the other
side? Mountains force air to rise. The air cools as it rises, releasing moisture
as snow or rain. The land on the windward side of the mountain is usually
green and lush because the wind releases its moisture.
7.
What causes the change in seasons? The tilt of the Earth’s axis.
8.
Clouds that include –nimbus or –nimbo produce what? precipitation
9.
The higher the latitude, the __colder____________ the climate tends to be.
10.
Write the name of each of the following air mass symbols. Also state the
characteristics of each air mass.
cP – continental Polar – dry & cold
cT – continental Tropical – dry & warm
mP – maritime Polar – wet & cold
mT – maritime Tropical – wet & warm
11.
Describe the steps in how a tornado forms. Cold, dry air meets warm, moist air
and starts to spin. Updrafts of air turn the spinning column vertical. The
column moves to the bottom of the cloud and becomes a funnel cloud. A
funnel cloud becomes a tornado when it touches the ground.
12.
What type of front produces a thunderstorm? Cold front
13.
What’s the difference between snow and sleet? Sleet forms when rain falls
through a layer of freezing air. The rain freezes in the air, which produces
falling ice. Snow forms when temperatures are so cold that water vapor
changes directly to a solid.
14.
Describe the eye of a hurricane. The eye is at the center of a hurricane and is a
core of warm, relatively calm air with low pressure and light winds.
15.
What is usually the most dangerous part of a hurricane? Storm surge
16.
What type of cloud is usually associated with a thunderstorm? Cumulonimbus
Make sure you also review the following:

Be able to identify a picture of a cumulus cloud, a stratus cloud, and a cirrus
cloud.

Be able to describe what happens during a cold front, a warm front, an occluded
front, and a stationary front.

Understand that the seasons are opposite of each other in Northern Hemisphere
and Southern Hemisphere.

Know how prevailing winds can affect climate.