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weather: study guide
contains definitions for weather tools, clouds, and types of precipitation
Question | Answer |
---|---|
what is weather? | the conditions of the atmosphere for a given place for a given time. |
the process by which a liquid turns into a gas is called what? | evaporation |
define condensation. | the process by which a gas, like water vapor, turns into a liquid. |
what is precipitation? | any liquid or solid water that falls to earth's surface. |
what is the humidity? | it is the amount of water vapor in the air. |
the temperature at which air with water vapor will reach saturation is called what? | dew point |
what are cumulus clouds? | fluffy, low level clouds that have flat bottoms; look like cotton puffs (3300 ft); can create rain showers |
describe stratus clouds. | horizontal, low-level clouds with a flat base; they are spread out like a hazy mask in the sky |
cirrus clouds are... | thin, wispy, hair-like, high level clouds composed of mainly ice crystals; associated with fair/good weather |
what is a barometer used for? | used to measure atmospheric pressure |
what do you use a thermometer for? | used to measure the temperature |
what is the application of a hygrometer? | used to measure humidity |
define atmospheric pressure | the pressure that the atmosphere exerts |
freezing rain | covers surfaces with a layer of ice; raindrops freezes when they hit the ground or other surfaces |
sleet | small pellets of ice; when rain passes through a layer of cold air, it freezes before hitting the ground which creates sleet |
hail | lumps of ice that fall from cumulonimbus clouds |
acid rain | rain that is more acidic due to pollution |
rain gauge | used to measure the amount of rainfall |
what is a cumulonimbus cloud? | enormous clouds that stretch from a 2000 ft to an astounding 39000 ft; contains a huge amount of energy; most commonly associated with thunderstorms. |