Storms Assessment Questions
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Directions: Questions 1 through 9: Read each question. On your answer sheet, write the letter of the
correct answer.
1. Under what conditions will the vortex of a tornado form?
A. When water spirals in a whirlpool.
B. When air masses of very different temperature and humidity conditions meet.
C. When warm air rises over tropical waters.
D. When greenhouse gases trap the earth’s heat.
2. In what ways are a hurricane and tornado alike?
A. Both are usually around 650 km across.
B. Both form over warm, tropical waters.
C. Both contain winds that spiral very rapidly.
D. The path of destruction for both is usually equal in diameter.
3. What is the main source of energy for weather on earth?
A. Precipitation
B. The Air
C. Convection Currents
D. The Sun
4. Which statements describe parts of the water cycle and how clouds form? Choose the letter of the
best answer.
(1) Water evaporates from the earth’s surface as it changes from a liquid to a gas.
(2) Water vapor rises with rising warm air.
(3) At higher altitudes, where temperatures are cool, vapor (along with dust particles) condenses into
drops of water and form clouds.
(4) Low-pressure conditions also help clouds form.
A. 1 and 2
B. 1 and 3
C. 1, 2, and 3
D. All four statements are true
5. Which term describes a circulation of air or water that forms from uneven heating?
A. Convection current.
B. Conduction current.
C. Radiation current.
D. Emission current.
6. Which statement describes the main cause of tornadoes?
A. Air in a low-pressure system rises above warm water.
B. Tornadoes form from thunderstorms, when two air masses of sharply different temperature
and humidity meets, normally over land.
C. Tropical sea air sweeps in to replace the rising air, causing condensation.
D. None of the above.
7. Which statement best describes what relative humidity is?
A. When air is fully saturated with water vapor and condensation occurs.
B. When water changes from a liquid to a gas.
C. Amount of water vapor held by air compared with how much it can hold.
D. Amount of water vapor in the air.
8. Air pressure is determined by which of the following factor or factors?
A. Elevation
B. Temperature
C. Water Vapor
D. All of the above
9. Rising warm ocean water that forms in the Gulf of Mexico travels past Florida and moves north along
the East Coast of the United States. How might this warm Gulf Stream affect weather in Boston,
Massachusetts, which is on the East Coast of the United States?
A. It would bring cooler temperatures to Boston.
B. It would bring warmer temperatures to Boston.
C. It would cool Boston only at night.
D. It would cool Boston only during the day.
Questions 10 and 11: Look at the map showing Tornado Alley. Then answer Questions 10 and 11.
10. Use the map to decide which states are most affected by tornadoes and make up portions of Tornado
Alley.
A. Texas, New Mexico, Tennessee, Colorado
B. Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Kansas
C. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri
D. Oklahoma, Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama
11. Why do more tornadoes form in Tornado Alley than any other place on the earth?
A. Tornado Alley is along the equator, and more tornadoes forma along the equator.
B. In Tornado Alley, warm moist air masses from the south meet cool, dry air masses from the
north and west more frequently than other places.
C. In Tornado Alley, warm, moist air masses from the north and west meet cold, dry, air masses
from the south more frequently than other places.
D. In Tornado Alley, warm air from the ocean causes condensation.
Questions 12 and 13: Look at the illustration, which shows air movement along a beach during the early
summer. Use the illustration to answer Questions 12 and 13.
12. What type of wind pattern is shown in the diagram?
A. Trade wind
B. Sea breeze
C. Land breeze
D. Doldrums
13. Is it day or is it night? How can you tell?
A. It is night. I can tell because the air is rising above
the land and land gets hotter than water.
B. It is day. I can tell because the air is sinking above
the water and water does not get very hot.
C. It can be either day or night, because the land is always warmer than the water. Air always
blows from the sea to the land.
D. I cannot tell whether it is day or night because there is not enough evidence in the illustration
Question 14: Use the illustration of the Convection Tubes to answer Question 14
Tara connects two Convection Tubes. She ads smoke to one cylinder. The smoke immediately sinks to
the bottom of the cylinder and moves into the second cylinder and rises. Which of the following
statements describes Tara’s setup?
A. She connected two hot cylinders.
She added smoke at the top of one hot cylinder.
B. She connected two cold cylinders.
She added smoke at the top of one cold cylinder.
C. She connected one hot and one cold cylinder.
She added smoke at the top of the hot cylinder.
D. She connected one hot and one cold cylinder.
She added smoke at the top of the cold cylinder.
Question 15: Use the illustration of the soil and water investigation to answer Question 15.
15. Study the setup for an investigation in which soil and water
are being heated. What changes would you make to the setup
to make it a fair test?
A. Put equal amounts of soil and water in each beaker.
B. Place the beakers of soil and water equal distances
from the lamp.
C. The setup is correct.
D. I would do both A and B.
Question 16 through 18: Look at the graph. Then use it to answer Questions 16-18.
16. How long was the substance heated before it reached 24 degrees C?
A. 5 minutes
B. 2 minutes
C.7 minutes
D.10 minutes and 30 seconds
17. The substance shown in the graph was heated for 10 minutes with the lamp on, and cooled for 10
minutes with the lamp off. On the basis of these data, what type of substance do you think was heated
and cooled?
A. A liquid (such as water).
B. A solid (such as soil or sand).
C. It can be either a solid or a liquid.
D. There is not enough data to draw any conclusions.
18. On your answer sheet, explain your reasons for selected the answer you did in Question 17.
Questions 19 and 20: Use these maps and the words in the Word Bank (on the student sheet) to answer
Questions 19 and 20.