Name __________________________________________
Date ______________________
Block _______
STUDY GUIDE: WATER IN THE ATMOSPHERE
1. The actual amount of water vapor in the air is called _______________________. The amount of water vapor in
the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold is called ________________________.
2. Are clouds made up of water vapor or liquid water? __________________________________________________
3. What role does condensation nuclei have in cloud formation? ___________________________________________
4. Give an example of something that could act as condensation nuclei: _____________________________________
5. Sometimes, when you wake up in the morning, there are drops of water on the grass, but it did not rain. What
happened overnight to cause this?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What does it mean when the air is saturated? _______________________________________________________
7. Explain the difference between weather and climate: _________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
8. List all the factors that determine an area’s climate: ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
9. The temperature at which the air is saturated with water vapor is referred to as ____________________________
10. Which of the volumes of air below would be able to hold the most water vapor? __________________________
3⁰F
15⁰F
31⁰F
62⁰F
Explain: _________________________________________________________________________________________
11. What is the name of the instrument that is used to measure humidity? __________________________________
12. As the temperature of the air cools & gets closer to its Dew Point, what happens to the Relative Humidity?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Write the name of the process that describes the change in the state of water below:
Water Water
Water
Vapor Vapor
Vapor
Label each diagram below with the correct type of Precipitation (Sleet, Rain, Freezing Rain, and Snow):
14.
16.
15.
17.
Using the Dew Point & Relative Humidity Tables (on the page protected handout or available online), complete the
following tables:
Dry-Bulb
Temp.
Wet-Bulb
Temp.
18.
22⁰C
20⁰C
19.
-2⁰C
20.
12⁰C
Dry-Bulb
Temp.
Wet-Bulb
Temp.
21.
22⁰C
20⁰C
-6⁰C
22.
4⁰C
-1⁰C
12⁰C
23.
12⁰C
12⁰C
Dew Point
Relative
Humidity
Using the Cloud Base Graph (on the page protected handout or available online), complete the following table:
Air Temp.
Dew Point Temp.
24.
22⁰C
20⁰C
25.
6⁰C
2⁰C
26.
12⁰C
12⁰C
Cloud Base Altitude
Fill in the blank with the word that best completes the sentence:
________________________________27. Clouds are classified by their shape and _____.
________________________________28. Clouds that form in layers are called _____.
________________________________29. High, feathery ice clouds are called _____.
________________________________30. Fluffy clouds with flat bases are called _____.
________________________________31. Dark rainclouds are called _____.
________________________________32. Clouds that produce lightning and tornadoes are called _____.
________________________________33. All clouds form in the layer called the _____.