Week 1 through Week 4 Flashcards
what is the atmosphere?
mixture of gas molecules, small suspended particles of solid and liquid, and falling precipitation
what is the difference between climate and weather?
Weather refers to the short-term phenomena.
Meanwhile, climate refers to the long-term pattern.
Which way does air pressure go?
From high pressure centers to low pressure centers
In low pressure areas, what are there?
rising air and clouds
In high pressure areas, what are there?
sinking air and clear skies
what is density?
mass (kg) per unit volume (m3)
As altitude increases, what occurs to density.
As altitude increases, density decreases. This may be expressed in terms of the mean free path, or average distance a molecule travels before colliding with another molecule. Due to compressibility, atmospheric mass gradually “thins out” with height.
what occurs when molecules bounce around?
they have a velocity and kinetic energy associated with it.
KE= 1/2 * m * v^2
As kinetic energy increases, what does temperature do?
As kinetic energy increases, temperature increases. When the temperature is high, it just means that air molecules are moving slightly faster than usual!
What relationship do kinetic energy and temperature have?
direct relationship.
what is pressure?
pressure is force divided by unit area
Which direction does pressure go in?
Molecules move in all directions, so pressure is exerted in all directions.
how is force produced?
the collision of molecules
What relationship do density and pressure have?
Direct relationship
Suppose that instead we keep the density constant and increase the temperature of the gas. What happens to the pressure of the gas?
Pressure increases as we increase temperature
What happens if we increase the temperature of the gas?
Higher temperatures increase kinetic energy, and pressure results from the force cause by collisions of molecules with the surface. If we increase the temperature, there will be stronger collisions and higher pressure.
What relationship do pressure and temperature have?
direct relationship.
What is the ideal gas law?
pressure= density* gas constant * temperature
If density decreases with height, what occurs w/ pressure at low elevations and higher elevations?
pressure decreases most rapidly at low elevations and gradually tapers off at greater altitudes
What is in the troposphere?
Layer of virtually all weather processes.
• Warmed at the surface by solar radiation.
• Steady temperature decrease with height.
• The top of the troposphere is called tropopause.
What is in the stratosphere?
ozone layer
What is in the mesosphere?
coldest layer
What is in the thermosphere?
low density, almost no mass
Name three ways in which energy/heat transfer can be transferred from one place to another.
Radiation, conduction, convection