Weather Test – Study Guide
Know the difference between conduction, convection, and radiation
Conduction: heat is transferred through direct contact! (ex. Hand on hot stove)
Radiation: Heat is transferred through wavelengths (ex. The sun, Warmth comes off the
stovetop, etc.)
Convection: Heat is transferred through a liquid or gas (ex. Heat travel from the boiler through
the heat vents (air!) into our classrooms
Know about global winds and how winds are formed (describe the process of convection!)
The sun unevenly heats the earth. This causes winds (land and sea breezes and global winds)

GLOBAL WINDS: The equator gets more sunlight which means that the air there
is warmer. Warm air rises and is replaced by cooler air that is dense and sinks
into its place. This cooler air come from the poles, where there is not as much
solar energy heating it. This causes global winds on earth! The patterns of
global winds are difference based on the hemisphere. Global winds blow long
distances as they travel from the poles to the equator. When the cool, dense,
polar air reaches the equator, it is exposed to more solar energy, will heat up,
rise, and move back towards the poles. The process continues!

SEA BREEZES: During the day, the land heats up faster than the sea. This is due
to its color and composition. When the land heats up during the day, the air
above it heats up and rises. Eventually, it loses some heat energy and sinks
down towards the sea. The sea doesn’t heat up as fast as the land during the
day, so the air above the sea stays cool and is more dense. The dense air from
the sea moves towards the land, filling in the space of the rising warm air. This
air will heat throughout the day, rise, and the process will continue.

LAND BREEZES: At sun down, sea breezes change to land breezes. This is
because the land loses its heat at a faster rate than the sea. The sea holds on to
its heat (which is why a pool feels warm when you hop in at nighttime!) The
warmer surface becomes the sea, so air above the sea heat up and rises. The
cooler, dense air is now found over the land, so it will move towards the sea to
fill in the space of the risen warmer air. This process continues as a land breeze.
Vocabulary to Know
A vortex is made of convection cells formed due to solar heating. It is the movement of a liquid or a gas
in a spiral around a central axis. The whirling motion of a cloud vortex results from a rapid downdraft of
cold air replacing hot, rising air.
High-pressure areas are usually associated with clear skies and nice weather.
Low pressure areas are usually associated with stormy, rainy weather.
Coriolis Effect: The shift in global wind direction that affects wind direction, hurricane rotation, and
much more.
*The measure of the force of air pressing down on the earth’s surface is called air pressure! Dense air
exerts more pressure on the earth than air that is not dense. High pressure air always moves towards
low pressure air. The three factors that affect air pressure are temperature, water vapor, and elevation.
The atmosphere is the air we breathe which is a mixture of gases that surround the air. The lowest level
of the atmosphere is called the troposphere. In this level, weather happens!
The autumnal and vernal equinoxes are two times a year when the Earth is in position equidistance
from the Sun. On these two days (September 22 and March 21) there is 12 hours of sunlight and 12
hours of daylight.
The three main ingredients for a hurricane are warm ocean water, low pressure, and winds.
Weather vs. Climate
 Weather - the interaction of four factors in the atmosphere: heat energy, air pressure,
winds, and moisture. It changes daily.
 Climate: general weather patterns of a certain location over a long period of time
Understand cloud formation:
Water from the Earth gains heat energy and evaporates into the atmosphere and is called water
vapor. In low pressure, water vapor will cool down and condense on dust particles that are suspended in the
atmosphere to form a cloud. Because there is low air pressure, there is room between dust particles for
moisture to build up. Eventually water vapor will build up in the cloud and precipitate (aka rain). The rain
reaches the Earth, collects in lakes, oceans, rivers, and will evaporate and the cycle will continue.
In this diagram, there are land and sea breezes being shown. Sea breezes and land breezes occur near
shorelines. During the day, land heats up faster than water. The air over the land rises and expands.
Denser ocean air moves into the area of low pressure, producing a sea breeze. The pattern is reversed at
night when the land cools faster than water. Warm air rises over the ocean and cooler air flows in,
producing a land breeze.
ABCDEF-
Cold, moist air (maritime polar)
Cold, dry air (continental polar)
Cold, moist air (Maritime polar)
Warm, moist air (Maritime tropical)
Warm, dry air (Continental tropical)
Warm, moist air (Maritime tropical)
Essays- Choose TWO of the following. Answer using a separate piece of paper 16 pts each = 32 points
total
1. Describe the effect of Earth’s rotation on the direction of global winds.
2. Explain how the proximity to a large body of water affects a locations winter and summer temperatures.
You may use the globe to provide examples.
3. Compare and contrast a cold front and a warm front. Include details and information on what the weather
is like after one of these fronts passes.
4. How do convection currents work? How are convection currents in the air similar to convection currents
in the ocean? Give examples!
jeopardylabs.com/play/catastrophic-events6.