Temperatures of the lower atmosphere

Question 1

What are the three scales of temperature?

Answer 1

Celsius
Kelvin
Fahrenheit

Question 2

Define heat energy:

Answer 2

Measured in calories – one calorie is the heat necessary to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius

Question 3

Define Laten Heat:

Answer 3

Stored or hidden heat
Not derived from temperature change
Important in atmospheric processes

Question 4

What are the three states of matter?

Answer 4

Solid
Liquid
Gas

Question 5

To change from one state of matter to another, heat must be

Answer 5

absorbed or released

Question 6

Define evaporation:

Answer 6

Liquid is changed to gas , requires 600 calories per gram of water

Question 7

Define Latent Heat of vaporization:

Answer 7

600 calories per gram of water were absorbed to make liquid go to gas.

Question 8

Define Condensation:

Answer 8

Water vapor (gas) is changed to a liquid, requires 600 calories per gram of water

Question 9

Define Latent Heat of condensation

Answer 9

Heat energy is released, change gas to liquid.

Question 10

Define Melting(latent heat of melting):

Answer 10

Changing from Solid to Liquid, takes 80 calories per gram of water. Heat is absorbed

Question 11

Define Freezing(Latent heat of fusion):

Answer 11

Changing from Liquid to Solid, take 80 calories per gram of water. Heat is released

Question 12

Define Sublimation:

Answer 12

Solid is changed directly to a gas. requires 680 calories per gram of water.

Question 13

Define Deposition:

Answer 13

Water vapor (gas) changed to a solid, requires 680 calories per gram of water

Question 14

Define Saturated Air:

Answer 14

air that is filled with water vapor to capacity

Question 15

“Capacity is temperature determined” means:

Answer 15

warm air has a much greater capacity

Question 16

Define relative humidity:

Answer 16

saturated air

Question 17

Define Dew Point Temperature

Answer 17

Temperature to which a parcel of air would need to be cooled to reach saturation.

Question 18

What are the three ways to move air?

Answer 18

Orographic Lifting
Convergence
Frontal Wedging

Question 19

Define Orographic Lifting:

Answer 19

Elevated terrains act as barriers

Result can be a rain-shadow desert

Question 20

Define Frontal Wedging:

Answer 20

Cool air acts as a barrier to warm air

Fronts are part of the storm systems called middle-latitude cyclones

Question 21

Define Convergence:

Answer 21

Where the air is flowing together and rising (low pressure system)

Question 22

Define Localized convective lifting:

Answer 22

Localized convective lifting occurs where unequal surface heating causes pockets of air to rise because of their buoyancy

Question 23

Define Stable Air:

Answer 23

Resists vertical displacement cooler air wants to sink

Question 24

Define Unstable air:

Answer 24

warmer and less dense than the air around it. Will rise until it comes to an even temperature

Question 25

What two major things does stability of the air help to determine?

Answer 25

1. Type of clouds that develop

2. Intensity of the precipitation