Name ______________________________________ Period ____
Chapter 13 Study Guide
1. What is the name of the process by which water vapor enters the atmosphere during the water cycle?
Evaporation
2. Relative humidity can be measured with what instrument?
Psychrometer
3. What are the two conditions required for cloud formation?
A decrease in temperature and the presence of cloud concentration nuclei (solid particles) in the atmosphere
4. Describe the look and location of cirrus clouds.
Clouds that look wispy, feathery and are usually above 6 km and at low temperatures.
5. What does the word cirrus mean?
“A curl”
6. Describe the look and location of cumulus clouds.
Clouds that look like cotton and form less than 2 km above the ground.
7. What does the Latin word cumulus mean?
“a heap”
8. Describe the look and location of stratus clouds.
Clouds that usually cover all or most of the sky and are gray in color.
9. What does the Latin word strato mean?
“to spread out”
10. What does the suffix –nimbus mean?
rain
11. How is specific humidity different than relative humidity?
Specific humidity is the exact amount of water vapor in mass in a given amount of air. Relative humidity is
the amount that is in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor that air can hold at a particular temperature. Relative humidity is given as a percentage.
12. What weather conditions are generally associated with an anticyclone?
Cool, dry air with clear skies.
13. What is an air mass and how are they classified?
An air mass is a huge body of air in the lower atmosphere that has similar humidity, temperature and
pressure. They are classified by temperature and humidity.
14. What is the most dangerous aspect of a snowstorm?
Strong winds.
15. If the relative humidity is high, how will this affect the evaporation and temperature change of the wetbulb of a psychrometer?
High humidity hinders evaporation and the temperature change of a wet-bulb would be small.
16. How does temperature affect the amount of water vapor air can hold?
As the temperature of an air mass is increased, the amount of water vapor the air mass can hold is also
increased.
17. In order for water vapor to condense and form clouds, solid particles must be present in the atmosphere.
What are these particulates called?
Cloud concentration nuclei
18. What is the temperature at which water vapor condenses called?
Dew point
19. If the relative humidity of cold air is 75% and the air is then warmed, how would this change the relative
humidity?
The relative humidity would be lower.
20. What are jet streams and what do they do?
Jet streams are bands of high speed air that move air masses.
21. How does the change of pressure of sinking or rising air affect the air’s temperature?
Increasing the pressure of a gas will increase the temperature of a gas. Decreasing the pressure of a gas
will decrease the temperature of the gas.
22. The readings on a sling psychrometer are 21°C for the dry-bulb thermometer and 17°C for the wet-bulb
thermometer. What is the relative humidity? Use the table above to determine the answer.
68%
23. What does warm air do when it collides with cold air?
Warm air rises above the cold air because it is less dense.
24. What weather conditions is a cyclone often associated with?
Warm, humid weather with clouds and a chance of precipitation.
25. What is the boundary where unlike air masses meet but do not easily mix is called?
Front
26. Where would a maritime tropical air mass originate from?
Maritime – the ocean (humid)
Tropical – southern air (warm)
27. Where would a continental polar air mass originate from?
Continental – from land (dry)
Polar – northern air (cold)
28. What type of air mass is cold and humid?
Maritime polar
29. Draw the symbol that represents a cold front:
30. Draw the symbol that represents a warm front:
31. Draw the symbol that represents a stationary front: