Weather Flashcards
(32 cards)
What is the water cycle?
The movement of water through Earth’s systems, powered by the sun’s energy
In the water cycle, what does water vapor do?
It enters the atmosphere by evaporation from oceans and other bodies of water and leaves by condensation
Evaporation is…
Process by which molecules of liquid water go into the air after becoming water vapor
Condensation is…
Process by which water vapor becomes liquid water
What is the order of the water cycle (starting with evaporation)?
Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation
Humidity is…
Measure of amount of water vapor in the air
Ability of air to hold water vapor depends on…
Its temperature
Warm air can hold more/less water vapor than cool air
More
What is relative humidity?
Percentage of water vapor in the air compared to maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold
What can relative humidity be measured by?
A psychrometer
If the relative humidity is high, does the temperature on the wet bulb change a lot?
No
How do clouds form
When water vapor in air condenses to form liquid or ice crystals
How does water in atmosphere condense?
Cooling of air and presented of particles in air for it to condense on is required
As air cools, does the amount of water vapor it can hold increase or decrease?
Decrease
What is the dew point?
The temperature at which condensation begins
Ice on a cooler surface is called…
Frost
Liquid water that condenses from air onto cooler surface is called…
Dew
Types of precipitation
Rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow, hail
Order of largest to smallest type of droplet
Raindrop (rain), drizzle drop (drizzle), mist drop (can’t feel), cloud drop (invisible)
What is used to measure rain?
A rain gauge/rain gage
What do you do to get the actual depth of rain in a rain gauge?
Divide by 10
Freezing rain:
When raindrops freeze when touching a cold surface
Hail
Round pellet of ice larger than 5 millimeters
Every time hail goes through a cold region, a new layer of ice forms
Looks like an onion with all the layers in it
Sleet
When raindrops freeze into solid particles of ice
