Measuring Weather: Temperature Flashcards
What is temperature?
How cold or hot the air is
What is the instrument that measures temperature?
Thermometer
What is a thermometer like?
It consists of a glass rod with a very thin tube in it that contains a liquid that’s supplied from a reservoir. The bulb is at the base of it.
What’s at the bottom of the tube?
Mercury or red-stained alcohol
How does a thermometer work?
As the temperature of the liquid in the blub increases, the liquid expands and rises up the tube.
What is the unit of measurement?
Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius
How are equal lines of temperature shown on weather maps?
Lines called isotherms
What does a maximum thermometer do?
It measures the highest temperature. The mercury in the thermometer rises as the temperature increases and pushes a pin in the tube upwards. As the temperature drops again, the pin stays at the highest point.
What does a minimum thermometer do?
It shows the lowest temperature and contains alcohol. As the temperature drops, the pin in the tube drops and stays at the lowest point.
What is temperature range?
The difference between the highest temperature and the lowest that can be calculated any time.
What’s the formula for temperature range?
highest temp. - lowest temp.
What’s the formula for the average/ mean daily temperature?
Add the lowest and highest temperature for the day and divide by 2
What’s the formula for the mean monthly temperature?
Add the daily mean temps and divide by the number of the days in the month
What’s the formula for the yearly temperature?
Add the mean monthly temps and divide by 12
