PART A
What is a vortex?
The movement of a liquid or gas in a spiral around a central axis (calm center in a storm)
What causes a vortex to form?
Uneven heating of the earth’s surfaces,(I. Heat Transfer, II. Temperature, III. Energy, IV.
Density) the force of gravity, and the rotation of the earth.
How does air move above a heated (warm) surface?
Air becomes warm (increases in temperature), gains energy, becomes less dense, and
rises.
How does air move above a cool surface?
Air becomes cool, loses energy, becomes more dense, and sinks.
What happens when hot air meets cold air?
Cold air sinks, warm air rises above it, causing unstable conditions, such as
thunderstorms that can produce tornadoes.
How do hurricanes form?
Warm, moist air evaporates (because it had gained energy, become less dense and rises)
over tropical waters, creating a low pressure system that is
moved by trade winds and the rotation of the earth.
*What are some labs/activities that showed convection and how did they show convection?
Inquiry 4.1 Investigating Temperature of Air; Inquiry 4.2 Investigating How Warm
and Cool Air Move. Both showed how heat is transferred above a warm and cold
surface. 4.1 measured temperatures at the bottom and top of the convection tubes. Above
the warm water the temperature of the air increased and above the ice the temperature of
the air decreased. 4.2 demonstrated that air above a warm surface is less dense and rises
as we saw with the smoke rising. And air above a cold surface becomes more dense and
sinks as we saw the smoke sinking in the tube
Inquiry 5.1 Investigating the Effects of Colliding Air Masses: The smoke/air sank in
the cold tube and then quickly moved to the tube with the candle and rose rapidly which
demonstrates a convection current where the cold dense air pushes the warm less dense
air up rapidly.
Inquiry 7.1Investigating the Effect of Temperature on Ocean Currents; demonstrated a
convection current by the water becoming more dense and sinking near the cold beaker
and rising near the beaker with hot water.
PART B
How are hurricanes and tornadoes alike?
Both involve rotating winds, a vortex, and cause catastrophic damage, convection
currents.
How are hurricanes and tornadoes different?
Hurricanes form over water, tornadoes form over land.
Tornado winds: 350 km/h, Hurricane winds: 119-250 km/h
Hurricanes can last a week or longer
Hurricanes are huge storms, tornadoes are smaller and form from storms
What role does the sun play in the weather on the earth?
The sun heats the earth unevenly. It is the uneven heating of the earth’s surface that
causes temperatures to change, wind to blow, storms to develop, and rain to fall.
What is a convection current?
Circulating flow of air or water (fluids) resulting from temperature differences. It is
a form of energy transfer in a fluid.
In Inquiry 3.1 (soil, water, lamp), how did you set up the lab to make sure it was a fair
experiment?
Same amount of soil and water, same distance from the lamp
In Inquiry 3.1, which surface heated faster: soil or water?
Soil heated faster
In Inquiry 3.1, which surface held its heat longer: soil or water?
Water held its heat longer
On the 3.1 graph, what did the soil curve look like? Why?
Steep rise and steep fall. The soil heated very fast, and it lost its heat very fast.
On the 3.1 graph, what did the water curve look like? Why?
Not very steep rise, and almost no fall (flat line). The water heated slowly, but it loses its
heat very slowly.
Look at the graph: What was the temperature of soil after 5 minutes?
24.2°C
What states make up Tornado Alley?
Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri
Why are there so many tornadoes in Tornado Alley?
Cold, dry air from Canada meets warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico.
When does a sea breeze occur?
Sea breezes form during the day when the air over the water is cool.
Describe what happens during a sea breeze?
The air over the warm land becomes warm, less dense, and rises. It moves over the cool
water, where it cools, becomes more dense, and sinks. It then moves back over land.
Describe how the water cycle relates to cloud formation.
The water on earth’s surface gains energy and evaporates into a gas (water vapor). As it
rises, it begins to lose energy and condenses into liquid water. The condensed liquid
water collects on dust particles in the air, forming a cloud.
How do some deep ocean currents form?
They form from convection, which results from the uneven heating of the earth. The
water near the Equator is warmed by more direct sunlight, which causes it to rise and
move towards the poles, where it cools and sinks, flowing back towards the Equator.
How do winds affect ocean water?
The direction that the winds blow determines the direction of the surface currents.
How do ocean currents affect air temperatures around the world?
Warm ocean currents from the Equator bring warm water an warm temperatures towards
the poles, and cold water from the poles brings cooler temperatures back towards the
Equator.