Key Vocabulary Terms

weather -state of the atmosphere at a given time and place.
air pressure - force of air against a unit of area
barometer - instrument used to measure air pressure
humidity - amount of water vapor in the air
relative humidity - amount of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold
psychrometer - instrument used to measure relative humidity.
anemometer - instrument used to measure wind speed.
wind vane - instrument used to find wind direction.
rain gauge - instrument used to measure the amount of rainfall.

Key Concepts

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place.
A thermometer works when the narrow tube of a thermometer contains alcohol, which expands when the temperature rises, causing the fluid to rise in the tube, and contracts when the temperature falls, causing the fluid to fall in the tube.
A change in air pressure means the weather will change. A rise usually means drier weather, and a drop often means precipitation is coming.
Air pressure drops as you go higher in the atmosphere because there is less air to press on objects at higher altitudes, so the air pressure drops.
A barometer measures air pressure; a thermometer measures air temperature; a rain gauge measures the amount of precipitation; an anemometer measures wind speed; and a psychrometer measures relative humidity.

Did you learn these Objectives?

Can you explain what weather is?
Are your able to describe how temperature is measured?
Are you able to define air pressure and humidity?
Can you tell how wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation are measured?

Investigation 10-1 "Measuring Air Pressure" (Optional, must complete 16 total investigations)

Key Concepts

You will construct a barometer and collect weather data to figure out if air pressure changes in your room.

Lesson 2 "Weather Patterns and Predictions"

Key Vocabulary Terms

air mass - large section of the atmosphere with the same temperature and humidity throughout.
front - moving boundary line between two air masses.
warm front - boundary ahead of a warm air mass that is pushing out and riding over a cold air mass.
cold front - boundary ahead of a cold air mass that is pushing out and wedging under a warm air mass.
high - cold area of high air pressure.
low - warm area of low air pressure.
isobar - line on a weather map connecting ares of equal air pressure.

Key Concepts

Weather data can be collected from weather stations, weather balloons, weather satellites, and radar.
A cold front is a cold ai mass pushing into and under a warm air mass. A warm front is a warm air mass gliding up and over a cold air mass. Both fronts are boundaries of air masses and both often produce precipitation. Precipitation at a cold front is usually more severe and shorter-lasting than at a warm front.
A high is a cold area of high pressure that results in fair weather and causes air to move outward in a clockwise rotation. A low is an area of low pressure, with warm air moving inward counterclockwise. Lows often have clouds and precipitation.
Isobars are lines used on a weather map to connect areas of equal pressure.
Weather maps contain a lot of information such as air pressure, cloud cover, fronts, air masses, highs, lows, isobars, precipitation, clod conditions, wind speed, wind direction, and temperature.

Did you learn these Objectives?

Can you describe ways that weather data is collected?
Are you able to explain how fronts, highs, and lows affect weather.
Are you able to read the information on a weather map?

Investigation 10-2 "Using a Weather Map" (Optional, must complete 16 total investigations)

Key Concepts

You will make and interpret a weather map in order to show weather conditions on a map.

Lesson 3 "Storms"

Key Vocabulary Terms

tornado - powerful wind storm with a whirling, funnel-shed cloud and extremely low pressure.
hurricane - severe tropical storm with high winds that revolve around an eye.

Key Concepts

A thunderstorm forms when a cold front forces up warm air, forming thunderheads.
Lightning is an electric current passing between negative and positive charges.
A tornado is a powerful wind storm with a whirling, funnel-shaped cloud and very low pressure.
A hurricane forms when the warm, moist air over equatorial ocean water collects and begins to spin.
A hurricane looses force when it moves over land because it removes the storm from the heat and moisture of the ocean and causes friction, which slows the storm winds.

Did you learn these Objectives?

Are you able to explain how lightning and thunder form?
Can you describe a tornado?
Are you able to explain how a hurricane develops?

Lesson 4 "World Climates"

Key Vocabulary Terms

climate - average weather of a region over a long period of time.

Key Concepts

Polar climates occur near the Earth's poles.
Tropical climates occur near the earth's equator between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Warm summers and Cold winters are found in the temperate zone.
Higher elevations tend to be cooler.
Large bodies of water tend to effect climate because areas near water have more precipitation and milder temperatures than those far from water.

Did you learn these Objectives?

Can you compare and contrast the three world climate zones?
Are you able to identify factors that affect climate?

Chapter Summary and Review

See page 252-253.

Chapter 10 Review answers are

1. hurricane

2. barometer

3. weather

4. air ma's

5. tornado

6. anemometer

7. psychrometer

8. climate

9. isobar

10. humidity

11. B

12. A

13. D

14. C

15. B

16. A

17. C

18. D

19. Both cities would have four seasons, including a cold winter and a warm summer. The city near the ocean would get more precipitation and have more moderate high and low temperatures; the city in the mountains would receive less precipitation and have more extreme cold temperatures in winter.

20. increase in barometric pressure, cooling temperatures, ending of precipitation, clearing skies, and change of wind direction.