Weather Patterns Unit Test

Liquid water droplets suspended in the air

• air parcel

• cloud

• condensation

• stability

Water in the form of a gas

• energy

• cloud

• air parcel

• water vapor

The troposphere is ____________ at the surface and___________ at its highest point.

• warm; stays the same

• coldest; warmest

• warmest; coldest

An air parcel will rise ....

• When the temperature is the same as the surrounding air

• When it is colder than the surrounding air

• When it is warmer than the surrounding air

True or False: As an air parcel rises, energy transfers from warm air to cold surrounding air until their temperatures become equal.

• True

• False

When does energy stop transferring out of an air parcel?

• When the air parcel temperature is warmer than the surrounding air.

• When the air parcel temperature is even colder than the surrounding air.

• When the air parcel temperature is the same as the surrounding air.

Day 1 and Day 2 in Greenville started with the same amount of water vapor in the air parcels there. It rained at the end of Day 2 but it did not rain at the end of Day 1.

What could have happened to the air parcel to cause rainfall on Day 2?

• The air parcel was warmer than the surrounding air, so it lost energy.

• The air parcel was warmer than the surrounding air, so it gained energy.

• The air parcel was at the same low temperature as the surrounding air, so it had low energy.

• The air parcel was cooler than the surrounding air, so it gained energy.

There were two rainstorms in Marion last month. Before Storm 1, Marion’s temperature at the surface was 26°C. Before Storm 2, the air temperature at the surface was 14°C. The temperature of areas surrounding Marion was the same before both storms.

Which storm is likely to have had more rainfall?

• Storm 1. The air parcel at the surface was warmer and had more energy, so when it moved higher, it lost more energy.

• Storm 1. The air parcel at the surface was warmer and had more energy, so when cooler air from above came down, it lost more energy.

• Storm 2. The air parcel at the surface was cooler and had less energy, so when it moved higher, it gained more energy.

• Storm 2. The air parcel at the surface was cooler and had less energy, so with low energy it remained near the surface.

Rochelle had two rainstorms in February. Storm 1 had more rainfall than Storm 2. The temperature of the surrounding areas was the same before both storms.

What conditions could have caused Storm 1 to have more rainfall than Storm 2?

Before Storm 1, Rochelle could have been:

• warmer than before Storm 2 and windy. Wind pushed more water vapor out of the warmer air parcel.

• warmer than before Storm 2 and windy. Wind pushed the warmer air parcel even higher and the air parcel lost more energy.

• cooler than before Storm 2 and windy. Wind caused the cooler air from above the air parcel to move down, causing the cooler air parcel at the surface to lose more energy.

• cooler than before Storm 2 and windy. Wind pushed the cooler air parcel even higher and the air parcel gained more energy.

Air Parcel 1 is the same temperature as the surrounding air. Air parcel 2 is warmer than the surrounding air. Air Parcel 1 and Air Parcel 2 started with the same amount of water vapor in them.

Which air parcel will have more rainfall and why?

• Both air parcels will have the same amount of rain. They have the same surrounding air temperature, so the same amount of water vapor will fall as rain.

• Air Parcel 1 is colder than Air Parcel 2, so more water vapor will fall as rain.

• Air Parcel 2 will gain energy from the surrounding air, which will cause more water vapor to fall as rain.

• Air Parcel 2 will lose energy to the surrounding air, which will cause more water vapor to fall as rain.