Meteorology Unit Test Study Guide
Please read and answer the following questions. You may use your lab
notebooks, notes, quizzes, or textbooks to help you. This will be the only
paper you need to study for your unit test.
1. Meteorology is the study of Earth’s weather.
2. A meteorologist is a person who studies the Earth’s weather.
3. What do you call properties of air that affect the weather? Weather
factors
4. A thermometer measures air temperature in degrees Celsius or
Fahrenheit.
5. A barometer measures air pressure in milibars.
6. A hygrometer measures humidity and its unit is a %.
7. A anemometer measures wind speed in miles per hour (mph).
8. Wind always blows from high pressure to low pressure.
9. Name the 5 layers of the atmosphere in order starting from the
surface of the Earth. Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
thermosphere, exosphere
10. All weather occurs in the troposphere.
11. CFC’s are harmful chemicals that are eating a hole in the ozone layer.
12. Differential heating occurs because different objects heat up at
different rates.
13. During a sea breeze the land heats up faster than the water in the
day time.
14. Radiation is heat transfer in waves.
15. Convection occurs when warm things rise and cool things sink.
16. Conduction happens when heat transfers because two things are
touching each other.
17. Explain why clouds can only form in low pressure.
In order for clouds to form they need rising air. Low pressure is
under rising air.
18. What type of weather occurs during high pressure? Fair, nice weather
19. Density is a measure of how tightly packed an objects molecules are.
20. Which gas is more dense, a gas that has a density of 1.1 g/ml or a gas
that has a density of 1.18 g/ml? The gas that has a density of 1.18
g/ml
21. Which type of air is denser, warm air or cool air? Explain.
Cool air is denser because as air cools its molecules move closer
together making it more dense.
22. These are lines on a weather map that connect areas of equal
pressure. isobars
23. In order for clouds to form, the air must be 100% saturated.
24. The point at which the air is saturated and water condenses is called
the dew point.
25. Condensation is the process where water goes from a gas to a liquid.
26. Evaporation is the process where water goes from a liquid to a gas.
27. To form a cloud, water condenses around condensation nuclei which
are small particles of dust, smoke, or salt.
28. Describe the four step process to form a cloud.
1. Warm, moist air is heat by radiation and begins to rise from
convection
2. As it cools, the relative humidity goes up.
3. Once the relative humidity reaches 100% it is saturated
4. The saturated air condenses around condensation nuclei to form
clouds
29. What type of cloud brings thunderstorms cumulonimbus
30. Which type of cloud brings long periods of light precipitation?
nimbostratus
31. Which type of cloud is made from ice crystals? cirrus
32. Which type of cloud is puffy and white and has a flat base? cumulus.
33. Which type of clouds are low and sheet like? Stratus
They form layers in the sky.
34. What type of cloud is fog? stratus
35. Which cloud prefix means “high?” cirro
36. Which cloud prefix means “low?” strato
37. Which cloud prefix means “middle?” alto
38. Meteorologists group clouds by their height and shape.
39. Air masses are large, stagnant pieces of air that take on properties
of the area below them.
40. Explain how a cold front forms.
A cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass and forces the warm air up.
41. Explain how a warm front forms.
A warm air mass overtakes a cold air mass and the warm air is forced
up.
42. Which front is this symbol on a weather map?
Cold.
43. Which front is this symbol on a weather map?
Warm
44. Which type of front brings all day rain or snow? warm
45. Which type of front brings strong storms that last a short while?
cold
46. Which country has the most tornadoes per year? United States
47. All tornadoes start in a thunderstorm.
48. The Fujita scale measures a tornado’s strength.
49. To be a hurricane, a storm must have sustained winds of at least 74
miles per hour.
50. Name four things a hurricane can bring when it reaches land.
1. Torrential rain
2. Tornadoes
3. Storm surge
4. Extremely high winds