Exploring Weather Fronts Through Experiments

The video demonstrates what happens when warm air meets cold air in the Earth's atmosphere using a water tank experiment. Warm water is added to one side of a divided tank and cold water with coffee granules to the other. When the divider is removed, the warm water rises and overruns the cold water, while the cold water sinks and undercuts the warm water. This simulates atmospheric behavior at a front, where warm and cold air meet. The video also hints at further complexities introduced by the Earth's rotation, which will be explored in another film.

What is the purpose of the demonstration in the film?

• To illustrate how clouds form

• To explain the water cycle

• To demonstrate the behavior of air when warm and cold air meet

• To show how water evaporates

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What is used to divide the tank into two halves?

• A metal sheet

• A plastic gate

• A wooden board

• A glass panel

Why are instant coffee granules added to the cold water?

• To heat the water

• To change the color of the water

• To make the water denser

• To visualize the movement of the cold water

What happens when the gate is pulled out?

• The warm water sinks and the cold water rises

• The cold water evaporates

• The warm water rises and overruns the cold water

• The warm and cold water immediately mix together

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How does the movement of water in the tank compare to the movement of air in the Earth's atmosphere?

• The water remains still

• The water moves in a circular pattern

• The warm water rises and the cold water sinks, similar to air movement at a front

• The cold water rises and the warm water sinks

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What is a 'front' in the context of Earth's atmosphere?

• A high-pressure area

• A boundary between warm and cold air

• A low-pressure area

• A type of cloud

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What additional factor modifies the overrunning and undercutting of air in the real atmosphere?

• The humidity levels

• The Earth's rotation

• The amount of sunlight

• The presence of mountains

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

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