Unit 4 Science Vocab

Question 1

Convection Currents

Answer 1

when lighter, warm air rises while heavier, cool air sinks. This movement creates a circulation pattern, especially in oceans

Question 2

Density

Answer 2

a measure of how compact a substance is

Question 3

Air Mass

Answer 3

air in the atmosphere with horizontal temperature, humidity, and pressure that is mostly the same

Question 4

High Pressure

Answer 4

when the atmospheric pressure is higher than average

Question 5

Low Pressure

Answer 5

when the atmospheric pressure is below average

Question 6

Atmosphere

Answer 6

gases that surround and envelop the Earth

Question 7

Climograph

Answer 7

a graph that shows the basic climate of a location

Question 8

Climate

Answer 8

the weather conditions in an area in general or over a long period of time, unlike weather

Question 9

Precipitation

Answer 9

liquids or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and eventually falls back to Earth

Question 10

Wind

Answer 10

the natural movement of air blowing from a particular direction in the form of a current

Question 11

Weather System

Answer 11

the movement of warm and cold air across the Earth, known as low pressure systems and high pressure systems

Question 12

Currents

Answer 12

air or a body of water moving in a set direction through a surrounding body of water or air where there is less movement

Question 13

Ocean Currents

Answer 13

the continuous movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density

Question 14

Coriolis Effect

Answer 14

Earth rotates as wind blows, making it seems like winds are curved

Question 15

Jet Stream

Answer 15

a river of fast moving air high up in the atmosphere that pushes fronts and controls other weather patterns

Question 16

Gulf Stream

Answer 16

a strong ocean current that brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic ocean

Question 17

Front

Answer 17

a boundary between 2 different air masses that create different types of fronts (cold, warm, stationary, occluded)

Question 18

Cold Front

Answer 18

the cold, dense air behind a cold front pushes warm air upwards, creating showers and thunderstorms

Question 19

Warm Front

Answer 19

the warm air behind a warm front pushes over the cool air, creating steady rain, drizzle, and fog

Question 20

Stationary Front

Answer 20

occurs when a front stops moving and forces the air in between them to rise, creating unsteady weather

Question 21

Hurricanes

Answer 21

a tropical storm in which winds have reached 74 mph or more