6.3 Weather, Climate & Water Cycle (Part 1 study guide)

What are cloud condensation nuclei or CCN?

• Small solid particles in the air that water vapor can condense on

• Large droplets of water that fall from clouds

• Gaseous substances that form clouds

• Ice crystals that form in the upper atmosphere

What causes condensation?

• When water vapor particles cool down and lose energy

• When water vapor particles heat up and gain energy

• When water vapor particles are compressed

• When water vapor particles evaporate into the air

What happens to molecules when they gain energy?

• They warm up and become less dense

• They cool down and become more dense

• They remain the same temperature and density

• They break apart and lose mass

What happens to the air the higher you get in the atmosphere?

• It gets warmer because it is closer to the sun

• It gets colder because it is further from the ground

• It remains the same temperature regardless of altitude

• It becomes denser due to increased pressure

Why can we see clouds?

• Water droplets and crystals reflect light to our eyes

• Clouds are made of solid particles that absorb light

• Clouds emit their own light like stars

• Clouds are visible due to the color of the sky

What can strengthen the circular convection currents?

• More thermal energy being transferred from the ground to the air

• Less thermal energy being transferred from the ground to the air

• Increased humidity in the atmosphere

• Decreased wind speed in the area

What do we call the circular motion of liquids, caused by areas being heated (rising up) and cooled (sinking down)?

• Convection

• Conduction

• Radiation

• Evaporation

What would cause a big thunderstorm?

• A greater difference between the temperatures near the ground and up in the atmosphere

• High humidity levels in the air

• A sudden drop in atmospheric pressure

• Strong winds at ground level

What is density?

• How closely particles are packed in a given space

• The mass of an object divided by its volume

• The amount of space an object occupies

• The temperature at which a substance changes state

When might updrafts be able to keep something suspended (floating in the air)?

• When the force of the air pushing up and the pull of gravity are equal and balanced

• When the force of gravity is stronger than the updrafts

• When the object is lighter than the surrounding air

• When the updrafts are stronger than the weight of the object