unit 4, exam 1 Flashcards
latent heat
quantity of heat involved in phase change
specific heat
amount of heat that will raise the T of 1g of a substance by 1C
low specific heat
warms fast
high specific heat
warms slow
sublimation
solid to vapor
deposition
Vapor to solid
thermal inertia
resistance to T change
Transpiration
water taken up from soil by roots travels up and escapes as vapor through stromata
evapotransiration
direct evaporation from earths surface and transpiration
percipitation
water in all phases but gas falls form clouds under the influence of gravity
humidity
loosely defines atmospheric water content
ambiguous
pressure
a force over a unit area (colum)
air pressure
force of all the molecules colliding with a unit surface area of any object in contact with air
water pressure
water vapors contribution to the total air pressure
dynamic equilibrium
rate of condensation matches rate of evaporation
saturation vapor pressure
vapor pressure observed at dynamic equilibrium where no more water vapor can occur in the air
Relative humidity
actual/saturation
dewpoint T
the T at which air must be cooled to achieve saturation
RH is 100%dewpoint
better at describing humidity
can never be greater than air T
cloud
form when saturation is reached
visible aggregate of tiny liquid water droplets and ice crystals suspended in atmosphere
expansion cooling
when an expanding V of air cools because the molecules are working against the surrounding air and end up losing kinetic energy during expansion
compressional heating
when a contracting V of air warms because the molecules are gaining energy from the work done in the surrounding air during compression
percipitable water
the amount of liquid water existing between surface and the top of the atmosphere
atmospheric stability
the reaction fo the atmosphere if an air parcel is forced to rise or fall
clouds form
air rises
cooling(rising air cools to dewpoint)
condence (saturates)
