Chapter 6 Vocab Science

Front 1

weather

Back 1

The condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place.

Front 2

atmosphere

Back 2

The relatively thin layer of gases that form Earth's outermost layer.

Front 3

water vapor

Back 3

Water in the form of a gas

Front 4

density

Back 4

The measurement of how much mass of a substance is contained in a given volume.

Front 5

air pressure

Back 5

The pressure caused by the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area

Front 6

barometer

Back 6

An instrument used to measure changes in air pressure

Front 7

mercury barometer

Back 7

An instrument that measures changes in air pressure, consisting of a glass tube partially filled with mercury, with its open end resting in a dish of mercury.

Front 8

aneroid barometer

Back 8

An instrument that measures changes in air pressure without using a liquid.

Front 9

altitude

Back 9

Elevation above sea level

Front 10

troposphere

Back 10

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere

Front 11

stratosphere

Back 11

The second-lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere

Front 12

mesosphere

Back 12

The layer of Earth's atmosphere immediately above the stratosphere

Front 13

thermosphere

Back 13

The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere

Front 14

ionosphere

Back 14

The lowest part of the thermosphere

Front 15

exosphere

Back 15

The outer layer of the thermosphere

Front 16

electromagnetic waves

Back 16

A wave that can transfer electric and magnetic energy through the vacuum of space.

Front 17

radiation

Back 17

The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves.

Front 18

infrared radiation

Back 18

Electromagnteic waves with wavelenths that are longer than visible light but shorter than microwaves.

Front 19

ultraviolet radiation

Back 19

Electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are shorter than visible light but longer than X-rays

Front 20

scattering

Back 20

Reflection of light in all directions.

Front 21

greenhouse effect

Back 21

The trapping of heat near a planet's surface by certain gases in the planet's atmosphere.

Front 22

temperature

Back 22

How hot or cold something is; a measure of the average energy of motion of the particles of a substance; the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of a substance.

Front 23

thermal energy

Back 23

The total kinetic and potential energy of all the particles of an object.

Front 24

thermometer

Back 24

An intrument used to measure temperature.

Front 25

heat

Back 25

The transfer of thermal energy from a warmer object to a cooler object.

Front 26

convection

Back 26

The transfer of thermal energy by the movement of a fluid.

Front 27

conduction

Back 27

The transer of thermal energy from one particle of matter to another.

Front 28

convection currents

Back 28

The movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat from one part of the fluid to another.

Front 29

wind

Back 29

The horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure.

Front 30

anemometer

Back 30

An instrument used to measure wind speed.

Front 31

windchill factor

Back 31

A measure of cooling combining temperature and wind speed.

Front 32

local winds

Back 32

Winds that blow over short distances.

Front 33

sea breeze

Back 33

The flow of cooler air from an ocean or lake toward land.

Front 34

land breeze

Back 34

The flow of air from land to a body of water.

Front 35

global winds

Back 35

Winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distancs.

Front 36

Coriolis effect

Back 36

The effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents.

Front 37

latitude

Back 37

The distance in degrees north or south of the equator.