Test 8 Flashcards

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1
Q

The basic cause of all weather

A

the sun

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2
Q

scientists who study the weather

A

meteorologists

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3
Q

the imaginary line running through the earth from North Pole to South Pole

A

axis

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4
Q

the air that we live in receives most of its warmth from

A

the ground

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5
Q

different seasons are caused by the ___ of the earth’s axis

A

tilt

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6
Q

winds are produced by ____ differences on the earth.

A

temperature

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7
Q

warm air is ___ than cool air

A

lighter

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8
Q

the earth’s surface spins at over ___ miles per hour

A

1,000

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9
Q

Be able to label these wind systems on the diagram of the earth. Mark with a star the two areas of the earth that have the most changeable weather

A
polar easterlies
prevailing westerlies*
(northeast) trade winds
(southeast) trade winds
prevailing westerlies*
polar easterlies
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10
Q

The amount of water vapor that the air can hold at a given temperature is the ___ ____ of the air

A

relative humidity

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11
Q

the lowest possible temperature at which air is able to hold all of its water vapor

A

dew point

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12
Q

the process in which water vapor leaves the air and changes into liquid water is called

A

condensation

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13
Q

Air is saturated when the humidity of the air is ___ percent

A

100

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14
Q

water vapor that condenses to form liquid water on the ground is called ___

A

dew

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15
Q

water vapor that condenses and forms frozen water on the ground is called ___

A

frost

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16
Q

an ice crystal in a cloud becomes too heavy, falls, melts, and lands on the earth as liquid water

A

rain

17
Q

falling ice crystals melt slightly, stick, and freeze together into snowflakes

A

wet snow

18
Q

falling ice crystals melt into raindrops, then refreeze and land on earth as tiny pieces of ice

A

sleet

19
Q

falling ice crystals melt, hit the earth as liquid rain, but refreeze as soon as they land

A

freezing rain

20
Q

a small piece of ice is tossed up and down inside a cloud, forming several layers of ice, until it is too heavy and falls to earth

A

hail

21
Q

puffy, bulgy clouds belong to the ___ family

A

cumulus

22
Q

layers of flat clouds belong to the ___ family

A

stratus

23
Q

wispy, curly clouds very high in the atmosphere belong to the ___ family

A

cirrus

24
Q

sheets of clouds that often produce rain are ___ clouds

A

stratus

25
Q

clouds made of very small ice crystals are ___ clouds

A

cirrus

26
Q

“thunderhead” is another name for a ___ cloud

A

cumulonimbus

27
Q

a term used to describe a cloud from which rain is falling is ___

A

nimbus

28
Q

the broad, flat top of a cumulonimbus cloud is called an

A

anvil top

29
Q

when opposite electrical charges build up in very tall clouds, ___ is produced

A

hail

30
Q

the rapid expansion of superheated air causes shock waves that we hear as ___

A

thunder

31
Q

the type of storm that packs the most destructive power into the smallest space

A

tornado

32
Q

the calm region of very low air pressure in the center of a tornado

A

the eye

33
Q

if a tornado has been spotted, meteorologists issue a tornado ___

A

warning

34
Q

the thin channel of charged air through which a lightning bolt can travel

A

step leader

35
Q

lightning bolts that do not come in contact with the ground but remain within the cloud

A

sheet lightning

36
Q

the row of thunderheads that builds up in the front of advancing cold air

A

squall line

37
Q

the boundary between two air masses

A

front

38
Q

Write a paragraph describing five precautions you should take during a thunderstorm.

A

blah, blah, blah You need to figure this out.