Chapter 6 Study Guide
Review Power Point
What causes air pressure?
Answer: Gravity
Look at the picture of a mountain.
What happens to air pressure as you move from
the base of a mountain to the top of a
mountain?
Answer:
Air pressure
decreases.
Why is cool air heavier than warm air?
 Answer: Gas particles in cool air are
closer together than those in warm air.
How can ocean currents affect the
climate of an area?
Answer: Large bodies of
water affect the temperature
of the air above them.
What type of air exists in a…
…continental polar air mass?
Answer: cold, dry air
…maritime tropical air mass?
Answer: warm, wet air
…maritime polar air mass?
Answer: cold, wet air
…continental tropical air
mass?
Answer: warm, dry air
What does this symbol on a weather
map show?
Answer: a cold front
What about this symbol?
Answer: a warm front
At which place on Earth do the Sun's
rays shine at the most direct angle?
Answer: equator
What is the source of a hurricane's
energy?
 Answer: warm ocean water
What must happen for a tornado to
form?
 Answer: Layers of wind in a storm
must blow at different speeds or in
different directions.
Why doesn't a closed paper bag
collapse under the weight of Earth's
atmosphere?
 Answer: Air pressure also exists
inside the bag.
What will happen to warm air that is
surrounded by cold air?
 Answer: The warm air will rise.
What is one important use for
Doppler radar?
 Answer: tracking tornadoes
Name four tools used by weather
forecasters. Tell what type of
information each tool provides.
Answer:
1. An anemometer measures wind speed.
2. A barometer measures air pressure.
3. A rain gauge measures the amount of
rain that has fallen.
4. A hygrometer measures the moisture
in air.
How does Earth’s uneven heating
cause convection currents to form?
 All places are not heated equally, so
there are differences in air
temperatures all over. Convection
currents form because warm air
rises and cool air sinks.
Name and describe three types of
weather fronts.
Warm front: warmer air moves against and rises
above cooler air. A long period of precipitation
is followed by higher air temps.
Cold front: cooler air moves against warmer air.
This warm air rises quickly. Heavy rain falls and
temperatures drop.
Stationary front: a boundary between 2 air
masses moving back and forth. Weather
remains cloudy with some rain.