Weather Patterns Unit Test

Water vapor can condense into liquid water when an air parcel

• gains energy

• loses energy

• keeps the same energy

• It is impossible to predict when condensation will happen

Answer explanation

Water vapor condenses into liquid water when an air parcel loses energy, causing the vapor to change state from gas to liquid.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

Day 1 and Day 2 in Kokomo started with the same amount of water vapor in the air parcels over Kokomo. It rained at the end of Day 1 but it did not rain at the end of Day 2. What could have happened to the air parcel to cause rainfall on Day 1?

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

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

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

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

Answer explanation

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

An air parcel will lose energy when

• It is colder than the surrounding air

• It is warmer than the surrounding air

• It is the same temperature as the surrounding air

• It is impossible to predict if an air parcel will lose or gain energy

Answer explanation

An air parcel will lose energy when it is warmer than the surrounding air.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

Warmer air parcels

• rise and gain energy

• rise and lose energy

• sink and gain energy

• sink and lose energy

Answer explanation

Warmer air parcels rise because they are less dense than the surrounding air. As they rise, they lose energy through expansion and cooling.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

What happens to the temperature as you move higher from the surface into the troposphere?

• the temperature increases

• the temperature decreases

• the temperature stays the same

• the temperature is random

Answer explanation

As you move higher from the surface into the troposphere, the temperature decreases due to the decrease in air pressure and density.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

The town of Kumba had two rainstorms. Storm 2 had more rainfall than Storm 1. The temperature of the surrounding areas was the same before both storms. What could explain why Storm 2 had more rainfall than Storm 1? Before Storm 2, the air parcel at the surface could have been:

• cooler, so when the air parcel moved higher, it gained more energy.

• cooler, so the air parcel had low energy and remained near the surface.

• warmer, so when cooler air from above moved down, it lost more energy.

• warmer, so when the air parcel moved higher, it lost more energy.

Answer explanation

The air parcel before Storm 2 was warmer, so when it moved higher, it lost more energy, leading to more rainfall in Storm 2.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Look at the diagram below. How will energy move for Air Parcel 1?

• Air parcel 1 will gain energy

• Air parcel 1 will lose energy

• Energy will not change for Air Parcel 1

• It's impossible to predict how energy will change for Air Parcel 1

Answer explanation

Energy will not change for Air Parcel 1

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Look at the diagram below. How will energy move for Air Parcel 2?

• Air parcel 2 will gain energy

• Air parcel 2 will lose energy

• Energy will not change for Air Parcel 2

• It's impossible to predict how energy will change for Air Parcel 2

Answer explanation

Air parcel 2 will lose energy

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Look at the diagrams of Air Parcel 1 and Air Parcel 2. Which air parcel will have more rainfall?

• Both air parcels will have the same amount of rain

• Air parcel 1 will have more rain.

• Air Parcel 2 will have more rain

• It's impossible to know which air parcel will have more rain.

Answer explanation

Air Parcel 2 will have more rain because it is moving up the mountain, leading to more condensation and precipitation.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Look at the diagram below. If all other conditions were the same before storm 1 and storm 2, in which storm would the air parcel rise higher?

• Storm 1

• Storm 2

• The storms will be the same.

• It's impossible to know which storm will have more rain.

Answer explanation

In storm 2, the air parcel would rise higher due to the stronger updrafts and more intense convection compared to storm 1.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6