NAME:___________
KEY_______________________
REVIEW
WEATHER UNIT TEST
Dear Seventh Grade Sensational Science Students
If you know what is on this review sheet you will ace the test
Mrs. Dean & Miss Hugus
Weather Unit Test is on Wednesday, October 17.
Atmospheric Heating (pg 10-13)
Conduction
The transfer of energy as heat through a material
Convection
The transfer of thermal energy by the circulation or movement of a
liquid or gas
Radiation
The transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves
Thermal energy is always transferred from __warm____ to __cold_____ areas.
As air is heated it becomes ___less_______ dense and it ____rises______ (sinks, rises).
Cool air is ___more_______ dense and it _____sinks_____ (sinks, rises).
Global Winds (pg 14-19)
Wind
The moving of air caused by differences in air pressure
Coriolis Effect
The apparent curving of the path of a moving object rom an
otherwise straight path due to the Earth’s rotation
Polar Easterlies
Winds that blow from east to west between 60˚ and 90˚ latitude
in both hemispheres
(label on map below)
Prevailing Westerlies
(label on map below)
Prevailing winds that blow from west to east between 30˚ and
60˚ latitude in both hemispheres
NAME:___________
KEY_______________________
Trade Winds
(label on map below)
Doldrums
(label on map below)
Horse Latitudes
(label on map below)
Jet Stream
Winds that blow northeast from 30˚ north latitude to the
equator and that blow southeast from 30˚ south latitude to the
equator
The trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
meet in an area around the equator called the doldrums. There
is very little wind because the warm, rising air creates an area of
low pressure.
Located at 30˚ North and 30˚ South. The sinking air in this area
creates an area of high pressure.
A narrow belt of strong winds that blow in the upper
troposphere
Polar Easterlies
Prevailing Westerlies
Horse Latitudes
Trade Winds
Doldrums
Trade Winds
Horse Latitudes
Prevailing Westerlies
Polar Easterlies
NAME:___________
KEY_______________________
Water in the Air (pgs 38-44)
Humidity
Amount of water in the air
Relative Humidity
Amount of moisture in the air compared to the amount of
moisture it can hold at a certain temperature
occurs when water vapor cools and changes back into a liquid
Condensation
How to measure relative A psychrometer is the instrument that is used to measure
Humidity ( Lab)
relative humidity. The difference in temperature readings
between the wet-bulb thermometer and dry-bulb thermometer
indicates the amount of water vapor in the air. The larger the
difference between the two readings is, the less water vapor the
air contains, therefore the lower the humidity is.
Dew Point
Psychrometer
Is the temperature to which air must cool to be completely
saturated
Measures humidity
Weather
The condition of the atmosphere at a certain time and place.
Water Cycle (pg 38)
Condensation
occurs when water vapor cools and changes back into a liquid
Evaporation
Occurs when liquid water changes into water vapor which is a gas
Precipitation
When rain, sleet, or hail fall from the clouds onto the Earth’s surface
Why does condensation appear on the outside of a glass of cold ice water? (Refer to Out of Thin
Air Lab)
The air surrounding the outside of the glass becomes cold enough that it cannot hold as much moisture,
so the moisture turns to water droplets which occurs on the outside of the glass.
Clouds (pgs. 42-43)
NAME:___________
KEY_______________________
How do Clouds form? Clouds form as warm air rises. As the rising air cools, it becomes
saturated. AT saturation the water vapor becomes a liquid or a solid depending on the
temperature. At warmer temperatures the water vapor forms around a condensation nuclei to
becomes water droplets
Definition of Cloud
A collection of millions of tiny water droplets or ice crystals.
Cumulus Cloud
Puffy white clouds that tend to have flat bottoms
Cumulonimbus clouds
Storm clouds that can reach into the stratosphere. The term
nimbus always means rain
Stratus Cloud
Clouds that form in layers. Fog is a stratus cloud
Cirrus Cloud
Thin feathery white clouds found at high altitudes. May
indicate approaching bad weather, or at least a change in
weather
Types of High Clouds
Cirrocumulus, Cirrus, Cirrostratus – usually made of ice
crystals
What are they made of?
Types of Middle Clouds
What are they made of?
Types of Low Clouds
What are they made of?
Alto stratus , Altocumulus, cumulus – usually made of ice
crystals AND water droplets
Nimbostratus, Stratocumulus, Stratus – usually made of water
droplets
How are clouds Classified? 1)Altitude
2)Form
Precipitation (pg. 44)
NAME:___________
KEY_______________________
Definition of Precipitation
Water that is solid or liquid that falls from the air to the
earth
List the most common types of 1) Rain
2) Snow
precipitation
3) Sleet
4) Hail
How is hail formed?
Hail is formed from cumulonimbus clouds. Updrafts
in the cloud carry the water droplets up in the cloud
where it is cooler and the water droplets from ice. This
happens over and over again till the hail becomes too
heavy and falls to the earth
What is the difference between Sleet is freezing rain. Snow is when water vapor turns
directly into a solid in the cloud
sleet and snow?
Air Masses (pgs. 46-47)
Write if the air mass is formed over water or land, and if it is formed over polar regions or
tropical regions. Also write the symbols for each air mass.
Maritime Polar
(mP) Forms over water. Forms over polar regions from the north.
Continental Polar (cP) Forms over land. Forms over polar regions from the north.
Maritime
Tropical
(mP) Forms over water. Forms over tropical regions from the south.
Continental
Tropical
(cT) Forms over land. Forms over tropical regions from the south.
Fronts (pgs. 48-49)
Draw the symbol of each front. Write how each front forms. Write the type of weather each
front brings.
Definition of
Front
The area in which two types of air masses meet.
Cold Front
cold air meets and displaces a warm air mass. This usually brings
thunderstorms heavy rain and cooler temperatures
NAME:___________
Warm Front
KEY_______________________
A warm air mass meets and overrides a cold air mass. The warm air
moves over the cold air. The warm air gradually displaces the cold air.
Stormy at the front but warm and clear after the front passes
Occluded Front a faster moving cold air mass overtakes a slower moving warm air mass
and forces the warm air mass up. The cold mass then meets another
cold air mass that is warmer. The cold air mass that is cooler forces the
warmer cold air masses to rise. This brings cool temperatures and large
amounts of rainfall
Stationary Front a cold air mass meets a warm air mass and little horizontal movement
occurs. This brings stormy weather around the front by is warmer and
clear after it passes.
Severe Weather (pgs. 52-58)
Thunderstorm Are small intense weather systems that produces strong winds, heavy
rain, lightning, and thunder
Lightning
An electric discharge that takes place between two oppositely charged
surfaces, such as between a cloud and the ground, between two clouds,
or between two parts of the same cloud.
Thunder
The sound caused by the rapid expansion of air along an electrical strike.
Tornado
A small rotating column of air that has high wind speeds and lower central
pressure and that touches the ground.
Hurricane
A large rotating tropical weather system with wind speeds of at least 119
km per hour. (74 miles per hour).
What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
A tornado watch means that the atmospheric conditions are favorable for a tornado. A tornado
warning means that a funnel cloud has been spotted and has a capability of touching the
NAME:___________
KEY_______________________
ground. In a tornado warning, you must take safety precautions and move to the lowest floor of
your house and be away from windows.
What is the difference between a funnel cloud and a tornado?
A funnel cloud is a rotating column of air that is still in the clouds. A tornado is when a funnel
cloud touches the ground.
Forecasting the Weather (pg. 60-63)
Weather forecast
A prediction of weather over the next 3-5 days
Meteorologist
A person who observes and collects data on atmospheric conditions
to make weather predictions.
Thermometer
Measures temperature
barometer
Measures air pressure
Wind sock
Measures wind direction
Wind Vane
Measures wind direction
anemometer
Measures wind speed
Radar
Used to find the location movement and intensity of precipitation
Weather Satellites
Orbit the earth provide image of impending weather
Weather Balloons
Carry transmitters that send measurements of weather factors to
stations on the ground