Unit 3 (Weather) Study Questions
Lesson 1 – What is the Water Cycle? (pages 99-112)
1. Know the vocabulary: water cycle, evaporation, atmosphere,
transpiration, condensation, precipitation, groundwater, runoff, glacier,
aquifer, recharge zone.
2. What are the three main steps of the water cycle?
- The three main steps are evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
3. How is a water droplet formed? How is a cloud formed?
- A water droplet is formed when water vapor condenses around a
particle in the air. A cloud is formed when many water droplets stick
together.
4. Why does runoff happen?
- Runoff happens when there is too much water to soak into the ground
quickly. Runoff can happen when there is a lot of precipitation or when
a glacier melts too much.
5. Why are aquifers important?
- Aquifers are important because they store fresh water and provide
fresh water for many people.
Lesson 2 – How Do We Measure Weather? (pages 115-126)
1. Know the vocabulary: weather, meteorologist, wind vane, anemometer,
barometer, hygrometer, humidity, stratus, cirrus, cumulus, cumulonimbus,
rain gauge, hail.
2. What do meteorologists study?
-
Meteorologists study weather. They look at precipitation, air pressure,
wind, cloud cover, and temperature.
3. What are some types of weather?
-
Some types of weather are sunny, cloudy, windy, snowy, rainy, stormy,
foggy, hot, and cold.
4. What tools do meteorologists use to study the weather?
- Meteorologists use wind vanes to study wind direction, anemometers
to study wind speed, barometers to study air pressure, and
hygrometers to study humidity.
5. What are the three basic types of clouds? What are they like? What sort of
weather do they signal?
- The three basic clouds are cirrus, stratus, and cumulus clouds.
- Cirrus clouds are thin, white, wispy clouds. They signal fair weather or
changing weather.
- Stratus clouds are grey sheet clouds. They signal rain or snow.
- Cumulus clouds are big, puffy clouds. They signal fair weather (white)
or stormy weather (grey).
6. What type of cloud makes thunderstorms and hail?
- Cumulonimbus clouds make thunderstorms and hail.
7. What are the four types of precipitation?
- The four types of precipitation are rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
8. How is hail formed?
- Hail is made when a water droplet rises up and freezes in a cloud.
More layers of water freeze on the ice ball until is it heavy enough to
fall from the cloud.
Lesson 3 – How Do Weather Patterns Help Us Predict Weather? (pages 127-140)
1. Know the vocabulary: air pressure, wind, sea breeze, land breeze, air
mass, front, weather map, tornado, hurricane, blizzard.
2. Why does wind happen? Does wind move from low pressure to high
pressure areas or from high pressure to low pressure areas?
- Wind happens when air moves, because of air pressure. It usually
moves from a high pressure area to a low pressure area.
3. How are a sea breeze and a land breeze different? Why do they
happen?
- The wind comes from the sea during a sea breeze. The wind comes
from the land during a land breeze.
- These breezes happen when a low pressure air mass rises and is
replaced with a cool air mass.
4. What is the air like in a high pressure air mass? What is the air like in a low
pressure air mass?
- In a high pressure air mass, the air is cool with particles that are close
together. It will sink down to the ground.
- In a low pressure air mass, the air is warm with particles that are far
apart. It will rise up into the air.
- REMEMBER: a high pressure air mass has a low temperature AND a low
pressure air mass has a high temperature. The pressure and
temperature are opposite.
5. Which four types of air masses can form?
- The four types of air masses are: wet and warm, wet and cold, dry and
warm, AND dry and cold.
6. What happens during a cold front? What sort of weather does it bring?
- During a cold front, a cold air mass moves quickly under a warm air
mass and pushes it up. A cold front brings cooler weather with stormy
weather. Afterwards, the air is cool and sunny.
7. What happens during a warm front? What sort of weather does it bring?
- During a warm front, a warm air mass moves slowly over a cold air
mass. A warm front brings warmer weather with gentle precipitation.
Afterwards, the air is warm and cloudy, but fair.
8. What symbols are found on a weather map? What do they mean?
- The symbols on a weather map show cold fronts, warm fronts, high air
pressure, low air pressure, rain, snow, hail, and sunny, partly cloudy,
and cloudy weather.
9. How are tornadoes, hurricanes, and blizzards the same and different?
- All three are strong, dangerous storms.
- Tornadoes are thin columns of strong wind, which can form in
thunderstorms. They form over dry land.
- Hurricanes are the most dangerous storms, which form over warm
ocean water. They have wind and precipitation and can cause
thunderstorms, flooding, and even tornadoes.
- Blizzards are winter storms with fast winds and lots of snow.
Lesson 4 – What Factors Affect Climate? (pages 143-156)
1. Know the vocabulary: climate, climate zone, equator, polar climate zone,
tropical climate zone, temperate climate zone, current, rain shadow,
desert, swamp, tropical rain forest.
2. What is the difference between weather and climate?
- Weather tells us what is happening in the atmosphere at a certain
place and time. Climate tells us about a place’s long-term weather
patterns (30 years of data).
3. Describe the three types of climate zones.
- The tropical climate zones are near the equator. The weather is warm
year-round. It has dry (deserts) and wet (rain forest) areas inside.
- The temperate climate zones are between the tropical and polar
climate zones. They have moderate weather and four seasons. They
get some precipitation.
- The polar climate zones are at Earth’s poles. The weather is cold and
dry year round.
4. What will happen if a place has a high elevation? What will happen if a
place is near a warm ocean current?
- If a place has a high elevation, it will have cool weather.
- If a place is near a warm ocean current, it will have warm
temperatures and lots of precipitation.
5. How are deserts, swamps, and rainforests different?
- Deserts are dry, but swamps and rainforests are wet. Swamps are warm
for some of the year, but rainforests are always warm. Deserts can be
warm or cold.