8th Grade Science Test 9

Question 1

an electron stream that jerkily travels from a cloud during a thunderstorm

Answer 1

stepped leader

Question 2

forms the brilliant flash of a lightning bolt

Answer 2

return stroke

Question 3

drops of liquid water that have a diameter of less than 0.5 millimeter and fall from clouds to Earth

Answer 3

drizzle

Question 4

atmospheric pressure at sea level is __ pounds per square inch

Answer 4

14.7

Question 5

measures high-altitude weather conditions

Answer 5

weather balloon

Question 6

type of front that forms when two air masses push against each other but neither one advances

Answer 6

stationary front

Question 7

the change in the direction of winds caused by Earth’s rotation

Answer 7

Coriolis effect

Question 8

types of clouds that are thunderstorm clouds

Answer 8

cumulonimbus

Question 9

list three things that affect insolation

Answer 9

angle of sun’s rays
cloud cover
length of daytime

Question 10

a tropical cyclone with wind speeds of 74 miles per hour or more is a

Answer 10

hurricane

Question 11

a wind that reverses its direction from season to season

Answer 11

monsoon

Question 12

the thunderstorm stage marked by the arrival of precipitation

Answer 12

mature stage

Question 13

a large, rotating updraft in a supercell thunderstorm

Answer 13

mesocyclone

Question 14

when the relative humidity is 100%, the air is

Answer 14

saturated

Question 15

the water that falls to the earth, including rain, sleet, hail, and snow

Answer 15

precipitation

Question 16

what phenomenon occurs when an area receives an abnormally low amount of atmospheric water over a long period

Answer 16

drought

Question 17

which air mass brings hot, dry weather

Answer 17

continental tropical

Question 18

what is water vapor in the air that touches the cooler ground and turns to a liquid

Answer 18

dew

Question 19

list 3 major factors that determine the earth’s weather

Answer 19

water vapor
heat energy
uneven distribution of heat energy

Question 20

a tropical cyclone with wind speeds between 39 miles per hour and 74 miles per hour

Answer 20

tropical storm

Question 21

a fierce, single-updraft thunderstorm

Answer 21

supercell

Question 22

a narrow funnel of powerful, rapidly whirling wind that stretches from a cloud to the ground

Answer 22

tornado

Question 23

the farthest distance at which objects can be distinguished

Answer 23

visibility

Question 24

the elevated water level caused by a hurricane’s winds

Answer 24

storm surge

Question 25

the most intense type of downburst

Answer 25

microburst

Question 26

the shock wave produced as lightning heats the air

Answer 26

thunder

Question 27

the outermost layer of the atmosphere

Answer 27

exosphere

Question 28

the boundary between two air masses

Answer 28

front

Question 29

the most abundant gas in the homosphere

Answer 29

nitrogen

Question 30

heat transfer by electromagnetic waves

Answer 30

radiation

Question 31

type of cloud characteristically almond shaped

Answer 31

lenticular

Question 32

type of ultraviolet radiation that's the least harmful

Answer 32

UVA

Question 33

surface winds that blow from high-pressure regions toward the equator

Answer 33

trade winds

Question 34

the convection cell that exists between the equator and latitude 30 degrees

Answer 34

Hadley cell

Question 35

a thick, brownish haze that results from complex molecules released into the air by vehicles and some factories and plants

Answer 35

photochemical smog

Question 36

the boundary formed when a cold air mass moves into the territory of a warm air mass

Answer 36

cold front

Question 37

the coldest point in the atmosphere

Answer 37

mesopause

Question 38

the movement of water from the earth's surface, into the air, and back to the surface

Answer 38

water cycle

Question 39

in clouds with temperatures above the freezing point, rain forms by the

Answer 39

collision-coalescence process

Question 40

the extremely powerful radiation that comes from deep space

Answer 40

cosmic rays

Question 41

air flowing down a mountain's slope due to differences in temperature and pressure

Answer 41

katabatibc wind

Question 42

a circulating spiral of wind around a low-pressure system

Answer 42

cyclone

Question 43

tornadoes are classified using the Enhanced __ scale

Answer 43

Fujita

Question 44

hurricanes are ranked on the __ Hurricane Wind Scale

Answer 44

Saffir-Simpson

Question 45

the rapidly swirling cloud that is the most distinctive visual feature of a tornado

Answer 45

condensation funnel

Question 46

a single updraft system in a thunderstorm

Answer 46

cell

Question 47

air that is warm near the ground but very cold at higher altitudes

Answer 47

unstable

Question 48

"lines of equal heat"

Answer 48

isotherms

Question 49

maps that give a summary of the weather conditions throughout the entire country at a single point in time are

Answer 49

surface weather charts

Question 50

a tornado that forms over water

Answer 50

waterspout

Question 51

the center of a hurricane

Answer 51

eye

Question 52

a weather instrument that simultaneously measures and transmits meteorological data from weather balloons to weather stations

Answer 52

radiosonde

Question 53

measures relate humidity

Answer 53

hygrometer

Question 54

measures air temperature

Answer 54

thermometer

Question 55

measures atmospheric pressure

Answer 55

barometer

Question 56

measures wind speed

Answer 56

anemometer

Question 57

uses radio waves to detect objets and measure their distance

Answer 57

radar

Question 58

measures the amount of precipitation

Answer 58

rain gauge

Question 59

indicates the direction of wind

Answer 59

weather vane

Question 60

measures the distance from the ground to the base of clouds

Answer 60

ceilometer

Question 61

a rotating column of air that starts on the ground and is not associated with a cloud

Answer 61

dust devil

Question 62

lines of equal pressure on a weather map

Answer 62

isobars

Question 63

a long line of advancing thunderstorms, usually moving ahead of a cold front

Answer 63

squall line

Question 64

a concentrated downward blast of wind

Answer 64

downburst

Question 65

a localized storm involving lightning, thunder, strong winds, and heavy rain

Answer 65

thunderstorm

Question 66

the long, narrow lines of thunderstorms in a hurricane

Answer 66

rain bands

Question 67

state of the atmosphere at a certain time and place

Answer 67

weather

Question 68

an abrupt discharge of electricity through the air

Answer 68

lightning