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Which is denser: cold or hot air?
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What does denser air do to the surface of Earth?
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Weather & Climate 2
6th Grade Science: Unit 3 - Wind & Heat Transfer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which is denser: cold or hot air? | Cold air is more dense than warmer air, so cold air sinks. |
| What does denser air do to the surface of Earth? | It causes high pressure. Denser air exerts more pressure on the Earth's surface due to the increased concentration of air molecules near the ground, which are pulled down by gravity. This causes high pressure. |
| What is wind and what causes it? | The movement of air caused by differences in air pressure is wind. The differences in air pressure that cause winds, are primarily driven by the sun's uneven heating of the Earth's surface |
| The greater the differences in air pressure, the ___ air moves. | faster |
| At what area on earth is cold, dense air found? Why is there high pressure and high density here? | the poles The cold temperatures in polar regions cause air to contract, become denser, and sink, creating a high-pressure system. |
| At what area on earth is warm, less dense air that forms low pressure found? Why is there low pressure and low density here? | at the equator Warm air at the equator rises. As it rises, it becomes less dense, leading to lower pressure at the surface. |
| What are convection cells? | A "convection cell" is an area within a fluid where warm material is rising in the center and cold material is sinking at the edges. |
| What would happen to the winds if the Earth was not rotating? | If the Earth did not rotate, then there would be no deflection or curving of the global winds. Instead, the wind from the poles and the equator would travel in a straight path or back-and-forth pattern. |
| What is the Coriolis effect? | The Coriolis Effect makes things (like planes or currents of air) traveling long distances around Earth appear to move at a curve as opposed to a straight line. |
| In the Northern Hemisphere, air curves to the _____ and in the Southern Hemisphere, air curves to the _______. | In the Northern Hemisphere, air curves to the right and in the Southern Hemisphere, air curves to the left. |
| What are the global winds? What are the 3 types of global winds? | Global winds are the main wind belts that move across the Earth in a steady direction. (1) Polar Easterlies (2) Westerlies (3) Trade Winds |
| What are trade winds? Which way do the trade winds curve? | Trade winds are consistent winds that blow almost constantly toward the equator from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern The trade winds curve west, due to the Coriolis Effect.Hemisphere |
| How did trade winds get their name? | The winds are called "trade winds" because early sailors relied heavily on their consistent easterly direction to navigate trade routes across the oceans |
| What are westerlies winds? Which way do the westerlies winds curve? | Westerlies are winds that blow from west to east in the middle latitudes, between 30° and 60° latitude, in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Westerly winds curve from west to east due to the Coriolis effect, meaning they appear to curve to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere |
| What do the westerlies carry over the United States? | The westerlies can carry moist air over the continental United States, producing rain and snow. |
| What are polar easterlies? Which direction does the polar easterlies curve? | Polar easterlies are cold, dry winds that originate from the polar highs (areas of high pressure around the North and South Poles) and blow from the east towards the west The polar easterlies curve towards the west due to the Coriolis effect |
| How do the polar easterlies affect the weather in the United States? | They bring cold air masses and contributing to chilly weather, particularly during winter months, by pushing cold air from the Arctic towards lower latitudes. |
| What are the doldrums? | The doldrums are a belt around the Earth near the equator where winds are calm or nonexistent. |
| Why are winds calm at doldrums? | Winds are calm in the doldrums because air rises instead of blowing horizontally. |
| What are horse latitudes? Why was it given that name? | The horse latitudes are two subtropical regions of high pressure that occur around 30° north and south of the equator. The "horse latitudes" are named so because sailors on ships traveling to the New World would often get stuck in calm windless areas at these latitudes for extended periods, forcing them to sometimes throw their horses overboard to conserve drinking water |
| Describe jet streams. (How high above earth are the jet streams located? how big are they? How fast are they?) | Jet streams are narrow bands of strong winds that circle the globe. Located about 10 km above Earth's surface They are hundreds of km wide but only a few km deep. |
| How can a jet stream help airplanes? How fast are jet streams? | Pilots are aided by a jet stream when traveling east. Pilots can save fuel and time when flying east in a jet stream. However, airplanes flying at jet stream altitude are slowed down when traveling west against the jet stream winds. They blow from west to east at speeds of 100 to 400 km per hour wandering north and south. |
| What are the two main jet streams? | (1) Polar jet stream (2) Subtropical jet stream |
| Why there is uneven heating on the Earth's surface? | (1) Earth is a sphere and tilted on its axis, so different regions on Earth receive different amounts of energy from the Sun (2) Different surfaces on Earth reflect varying amounts of sunlight (3) Land heats up faster than water, creating localized temperature variations. |
| Describe the "uneven heating of land forms" phenomenon. | "Uneven heating of landforms" refers to the phenomenon where different parts of the Earth's surface, like land masses and bodies of water, absorb and radiate heat from the sun at different rates, causing variations in temperature across the globe, which in turn drives weather patterns like wind and ocean currents; essentially, land heats up faster than water due to its different heat capacity, leading to these variations in temperature. |
| In which direction would the wind blow if an area has higher temperature, lower density, lower pressure? | Wind will blow towards an area with a higher temperature, lower density, and lower pressure because wind naturally moves from high pressure to low pressure areas. |
| What is a convection current? Describe an example of a convection current. | a heat transfer process involving the movement of energy and heat from one place to another boiling water: When heated, the water near the bottom becomes less dense and rises, while cooler water sinks to take its place. |
| How does air move in a convection current? | Air moves upwards when it is warm and less dense, then cools and sinks as it becomes denser, creating a cyclical pattern of rising and sinking air that transfers heat from a warmer area to a cooler one |
| What makes wind move faster? | Wind is the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure. The greater the pressure difference, the faster the wind moves. |
| What are global winds and how are they created? | Winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances distances are called global winds. Global winds are created by uneven heating of earth's surface. Near the equator, energy from the sun strikes Earth almost directly. Near the poles the same amount of energy is spread out over a larger area. |
| How are global convection currents created? | Temperature differences between the equator and poles produce giant convection currents. Warm air at the equator rises and sink at the poles . Air pressure is low at the equator and high at the poles. At Earth's surface, winds blow from the poles toward the equator. In the atmosphere, winds blow away from the equator toward the poles. |
| What is the relationship between global convection currents and trade winds? | global convection currents create trade winds. |
| Name the major wind belts. | The major wind belts are the doldrums, horse latitudes, trade winds, the prevailing westerlies, and the polar easterlies. |
| Describe the air movement at the Horse Latitudes. | Warm air that rises at the equator divides flow both north and south. At about 30 degrees north and south latitudes, the air stops moving toward the poles and sinks. In each of these regions, another belt of high-pressure air forms. |
| Where are trade winds located? | These steady easterly (come from the east) winds are at the 30 degree north and south latitudes toward the equator. |
| Which heats up faster -- land or water? What cools off faster – land or water? | Land heats up faster than water Land cools off faster than water |
| How do particles flow (from areas of ___ pressure to ___ pressure)? In what direction does air move? | Particles flow from areas of high to low pressure. Air moves from areas of high pressure toward areas of low pressure. |
| What causes heat to transfer? | Temperature differences between 2 objects |
| What is temperature? | the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of a substance. |
| What is heat? | a form of energy transfer from a hotter location to a cooler location. |
| What is conduction? Give an example. | Conduction is when heat (energy) moves from one thing to another when they are touching each other Example: when you touch a hot stove and your hand gets warm because the heat from the stove moves into your hand |
| What is convection? Give an example. | Convection is when heat (energy) moves through a liquid or gas by creating a circular motion Example: when you boil water on the stove - the hot water rises to the top, cools down, and then sinks back down to be heated again, creating a cycle |
| What is radiation? Give an example. | Radiation is when energy moves from one place to another in waves or particles Example: When you feel warmth from the sun or getting an x-ray |
| How are Conduction, Convection, and Radiation all similar? | 1 - Energy transfer (all three processes involve the transfer of energy) 2- Heat transfer (Conduction, convection, and radiation are all methods of heat transfer) |
| How are Conduction, Convection, and Radiation all different? | They differ in how heat is transferred: conduction requires physical touch, convection needs a moving fluid (like air or water), and radiation can travel through empty space without needing a medium to travel through |
| Why is saying "heat rises" incorrect? | Heat itself is not a physical object that can rise. It's a form of energy that transfers from a warmer to a cooler area, meaning "hot air" rises due to its lower density when heated, not the heat itself rising up |
| What factors affect the rate of thermal energy transfer? | (1) Temperature difference (2) Surface area. (3) Material properties (4) Distance (5) State of matter |
| Why does it take more energy to heat a bathtub full of water than a pan of water to the same temperature? | the greater the mass, the more heat energy is needed to raise its temperature by the same amount. |
| Why is water considered a good insulator? | despite its ability to absorb a lot of heat, its molecules hold onto that heat tightly, making it a poor conductor of heat transfer, meaning it resists the flow of heat through it |
| Describe how does a jacket keep you warm? | by trapping your body's heat and preventing it from escaping into the air. This is done through insulation, which traps air molecules within its structure to create a barrier between your body and the environment. |
| How does temperature affect the rate of thermal energy transfer? | The greater the temperature difference between two objects, the faster heat will transfer between them. |
| How does surface area affect the rate of thermal energy transfer? | A larger surface area in contact between objects allows for more thermal energy to be transferred. |
| How does material properties / thermal conductivity affect the rate of thermal energy transfer? | Different materials conduct heat at different rates, with metals generally having high thermal conductivity and transferring heat quickly, while materials like wood or plastic have low conductivity. |
| How does distance affect the rate of thermal energy transfer? | The farther apart two objects are, the slower the rate of heat transfer. |
| How does state of matter affect the rate of thermal energy transfer? | Solids typically conduct heat better than liquids, and liquids better than gases. |
Created by:
Engle Family
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