What are the winds that blow from east to west near the equator called?
trade winds
What is the name of the instrument used to measure humidity?
hygrometer
What is the name of the fast-moving air current high in the atmosphere?
the jet stream
What gases is the atmosphere made up of?
Mostly nitrogen, some oxygen, and small amounts of other gases
What is the layer of gases that surrounds Earth?
the atmosphere
Who studies weather and makes weather forecasts?
meteorologists
What are winds named for?
The direction they come from
What are the types of precipitation?
Rain, snow, sleet, hail
What is the process by which water vapor becomes liquid water?
condensation
What causes rain?
The water droplets clouds are mae of joining together, becoming too heavy, and falling to the ground
What is the force exerted by the weight of air on a given area?
barometric pressure
When air is hot, what happens to air pressure
It becomes less
A cycle of hot air rising, cool air taking its place, which then heats is called what?
Circulation (convection)
What is the name of the instrument used to measure wind speed?
anemometer
what affects weather?
temperature, wind speed and direction, air pressure, moisture, amount of rain or snow
What is water vapor?
The gas state of water
What is the moisture content of the air called?
humidity
If you take 2 readings with a barometer, one at the top of a building and one at the bottom of a supertall building: Where will the reading be higher? Why?
At the bottom, the air is more dense and therfor has higher pressure
What are clouds made of?
Tiny water droplets or ice crystals
What does a thermometer do?
It measures the temperature
Why is the cabin in an airplane pressurized?
Because they fly very high u where there is little oxygen content in the air due to low pressure. They are pressurized so we can breathe
What direction does hot air travel? Why?
It moves up because it's less dense
What is the distance above sea level called?
altitude
What is the difference between sleet and hail?
Sleet is frozen rain, while hail is formed from ice crystals that grow larger as they circulate in thunderstorms.