Air Pressure, Winds, And Clouds

Front 1

1. How does the number of molecules relate to air pressure?

Back 1

• Increased number of molecules = increased air pressure

Front 2

2. How is air pressure related to altitude and density?

Back 2

• Increased altitude = Decreased density = Decreased air pressure
*decrease when altitude increases & less dense means lower air pressure

Front 3

3. In the air pressure lab, why did the card say on the cup? Draw a picture. Include arrows that show air pressure.

Back 3

less air pressure inside the cup

Front 4

4. In the air pressure lab, why did the Soda can get crushed? Draw a picture. Include arrows that show air pressure.

Back 4

high pressure around the can makes it cave in

Front 5

5. How does a temperature difference affect air?

Back 5

• Hot air = less dense = low air pressure
• Cold air = more dense = high air pressure

Front 6

6. What is the relationship between air pressure and wind?

Back 6

• Difference in air pressure causes wind

Front 7

7. Why is the earth heated unevenly?

Back 7

• Equator gets direct sunlight

sunlight shines differently in different areas

Front 8

8. The earth is heated unevenly. What does this cause?

Back 8

• Winds

Front 9

9. How does Earth’s rotation affect wind direction?

Back 9

• Coriolis Effect – Makes winds curve

wind can never travel straight due to earths rotation: it will always curve

Front 10

10. How are local and global winds similar?

Back 10

• Both caused by uneven heating of the earth

Front 11

11. How are local winds and global winds different? (Name 2 differences)

Back 11

• Global Winds – Travel long distances and can last for weeks
• Local Winds – Travel short distances and change daily

Front 12

12. What are the two calm regions of air?

Back 12

• Horse Latitudes
• Doldrums

Front 13

13. What are the three global wind belts?

Back 13

• Easterlies
• Westerlies
• Trade Winds

Front 14

14. How do jet streams influence our weather?

Back 14

• Can bring cold weather down from Canada or pull warm air up

Front 15

16. Draw a picture showing Land Breezes. Make sure you indicate if it is day or night. Label the high pressure and low pressure areas. Show arrows the represent air movement.

Back 15

land breeze at night

Front 16

17. Draw a picture showing Sea Breezes. Make sure you indicate if it is day or night. Label the high pressure and low pressure areas. Show arrows the represent air movement.

Back 16

sea breeze during the day

Front 17

18. How does temperature affect the water in the air?

Back 17

• Determines if it will be water droplets or ice crystals

Front 18

19. How do clouds form?

Back 18

• Water vapor condenses on a solid to form droplets

Front 19

20. What is required for clouds to form?

Back 19

• Solid
• Dust, smoke, salt, etc.
water vapor

Front 20

21. Describe cumulus clouds

Back 20

• White puffy clouds with dark bases, appear in daytime when warm air rises & its water vapor condenses

Front 21

22. Describe stratus clouds

Back 21

• Flat layers
• Gray Skies

Front 22

23. Describe cirrus clouds

Back 22

• Wispy/Feathery
• Made of Ice
• High altitudes

Front 23

24. How are cumulonimbus clouds different from other cumulus clouds?

Back 23

• Produce thunderstorms

Front 24

25. How do we measure the amount of rain we get?

Back 24

• Rain Gauge

Front 25

26. Describe the water cycle.

Back 25

• Water from the oceans/rivers evaporate and turn from liquid (water) to gas (water vapor)
• Water vapor in the air will rise and cool causing it to condense and form small cloud droplets
• The cloud droplets will combine and water will fall to the earth which is precipitation

Front 26

27. Why does precipitation occur?

Back 26

• Water droplets get too heavy

Front 27

28. How is sleet formed differently than freezing rain?

Back 27

• Sleet freezes in the air
• Larger/deeper cold region
• Freezing rain freezes on the surface
• Smaller/shallow cold region

Front 28

29. How is hail formed?

Back 28

• Strong drafts carry ice pellets up and down in the cloud making them larger

Front 29

30. How does acid rain form? (Mention water vapor)

Back 29

• Acidic gases (from pollution) combine with water vapor. This acidic liquid will fall as rain

Front 30

1. Define Air Pressure

Back 30

. The force of air molecules pushing on an object

Front 31

2. How does air pressure change as altitude increases?

Back 31

. It decreases

Front 32

3. How does air pressure change as density decreases?

Back 32

3. It decreases

Front 33

4. What do we use to measure air pressure?

Back 33

. Barometer

Front 34

5. Air moves because air pressure _____________

Back 34

5. Varies / Is different

Front 35

6. Air moves from ____________ pressure to ____________ pressure

Back 35

6. High to Low

Front 36

7. If the air is warm does it have a high or low pressure?

Back 36

. Low

Front 37

8. If the air is cold does it have a high or low pressure?

Back 37

. High

Front 38

9. Why does the equator have warmer temperatures than the poles?

Back 38

. Direct sunlight

Front 39

10. Does the equator have high or low air pressure?

Back 39

10. Low – Its warm

Front 40

11. Do the poles have high or air pressure?

Back 40

11. High – They are cold

Front 41

12. What is the coriolis effect?

Back 41

. Rotation of the earth causes winds to curve

Front 42

13. What would the winds look like if the earth didn’t rotate?

Back 42

They would be straight

Front 43

14. What are the three different types of local wind?

Back 43

14. Sea Breeze
Land Breeze,
Monsoon

Front 44

15. What are the three different types of global wind?

Back 44

5. Calm Regions
Wind Belts
Jet Streams

Front 45

16. How are global winds and local winds similar?

Back 45

16. Caused by the uneven heating of earth

Front 46

17. How are global winds and local winds different?

Back 46

17. Global winds – cover long distances and last weeks
Local winds – very short distances and last a day

Front 47

18. How are the doldrums and horse latitudes similar?

Back 47

. Calm regions

Front 48

19. What are the three wind belts?

Back 48

. Trade Winds, Westerlies, Easterlies

Front 49

20. Where do jet streams occur?

Back 49

Upper troposphere

Front 50

21. What causes jet streams?

Back 50

Uneven heating of the earth

Front 51

22. How do jet streams impact us here in the United States?

Back 51

Can bring cold weather down from Canada

Front 52

23. How does wind impact travel?

Back 52

Can make it easier or harder depending on if you are going with the wind, against the wind, or if there is no wind

Front 53

24. Which type of local wind occurs during night?

Back 53

Land Breeze

Front 54

25. During a land breeze does the wind move towards land or away from land?

Back 54

Away

Front 55

26. During the day do rivers have high or low air pressure?

Back 55

High – They are colder than the surrounding area (normally)

Front 56

27. During the night does land have high or low air pressure?

Back 56

High – It is colder

Front 57

28. Why does water have a high air pressure during the day but a low air pressure at night?

Back 57

It doesn’t change temperature quickly

Front 58

29. What three forms can water be found in?

Back 58

Solid (snow), Liquid (water), Gas (water vapor)

Front 59

30. Define evaporation.

Back 59

. Water turns from liquid to gas (water vapor)

Front 60

31. Define condensation.

Back 60

. Water vapor in the sky becomes cold and turns into small water droplets or ice crystals

Front 61

32. Define precipitation.

Back 61

. Water molecules fall to the ground

Front 62

33. Describe how clouds are formed.

Back 62

Water vapor in the air rises and condenses on a solid to form small droplets

Front 63

34. Besides water vapor what is necessary for clouds to form?

Back 63

Solid particle (smoke, dust, etc

Front 64

35. What two things determine what type of cloud will form?

Back 64

Location (altitude), Wind movement

Front 65

36. What are the three main types of clouds?

Back 65

Cumulus, Cirrus, Stratus

Front 66

37. What does nimbo/nimbus mean?

Back 66

. Produces precipitation

Front 67

38. What does alto mean?

Back 67

Medium altitude

Front 68

39. What characteristics do cirrus clouds have?

Back 68

. Wispy, Feathery, Made of ice, High Altitudes

Front 69

40. How are cumulus clouds formed?

Back 69

. Warm air rises and condenses, cold air sinks on the sides which keeps the clouds apart

Front 70

41. What do cumulonimbus clouds create?

Back 70

Thunderstorms

Front 71

42. What do stratus clouds look like?

Back 71

Layers

Front 72

43. Which cloud is formed at high altitudes?

Back 72

Cirrus

Front 73

44. What is fog?

Back 73

Cloud that is formed on the ground when the surface is colder than the air above it

Front 74

45. What must happen for precipitation to occur?

Back 74

Water molecules combine and become heavy enough to fall

Front 75

46. How do we measure precipitation?

Back 75

Rain gauge

Front 76

47. What are the 5 types of precipitation we learned about?

Back 76

Snow, Sleet, Freezing Rain, Hail, Rain

Front 77

48. How are rain droplets different from cloud droplets?

Back 77

Larger

Front 78

49. How does sleet form?

Back 78

. When rain is falling it moves into a cold region which causes it to freeze before it hits the ground

Front 79

50. How does freezing rain form?

Back 79

When rain is falling it moves into a smaller cold region so it freezes when it hits the ground

Front 80

51. How does snow form?

Back 80

Ice crystals grow/combine

Front 81

52. How does hail form?

Back 81

Updrafts carry ice particles up and down inside the cloud making it larger

Front 82

53. Which type of cloud forms hail?

Back 82

Cumulonimbus

Front 83

54. How is sleet different from freezing rain?

Back 83

. Sleet freezes before it hits the ground and freezing rain freezes on the surface

Front 84

55. What is released into the air to create acid rain?

Back 84

sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide

Front 85

56. How does acid rain affect the environment?

Back 85

. Erode buildings, ruin ecosystems, pollutes rivers and streams