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science vocab
for science
Term | Definition |
---|---|
atmosphere | the layers of air that cover the earth |
air pressure | how much air is pushing on you |
troposphere | the layer of the atmosphere we live in |
stratosphere | the layer of the atmosphere where planes fly |
mesosphere | the layer of the atmosphere where meteors burn up |
ionosphere | the layer of the atmosphere where ion waves are reflected |
exosphere | the layer of the atmosphere that fades into space |
thermosphere | the layer of the atmosphere the includes the ionosphere and exosphere |
ozone layer | the layer of the atmosphere that is in the stratosphere |
greenhouse effect | the effect that happens when gases are trapped in the atmosphere |
temperature | the average amount of heat an object has |
thermal energy | the total amount of heat an object has |
thermal expansion | when something is heated it expands |
heat | the amount of energy an object has |
radiation | heat transfer by electromagnetic waves |
conduction | heat transfer by direct touch |
convection | heat transfer by fluids |
wind | air moving from a low pressure system to a high pressure |
Coriolis Effect | the effect that happens when the rotation of the earth causes winds to curve |
Jet Stream | a band of EXTREMELY fast winds |
local wind | wind in a certain place |
sea breeze | wind coming off the sea |
land breeze | wind coming off the land |
mountain breeze | wind coming down a mountain |
valley breeze | wind in a valley |
global wind | wind around the world |
Trade Winds | a wind going towards the equator from north east in the norther hemisphere and from the south west in thr souther |
Westerlies | west to east wind |
Polar Easterlies | eastern winds going east from the poles |
Doldrums | an area of little to no wind on the equator |
Horse Latitudes | subtropical between 30 and 80 |
weather | the current condition of the atmosphere |
humidity | how much water vapor is in the air |
relative humidity | amount of water vapor in the air at a given time |
dew point | the temperature which dew forms |
precipitation | any thing that falls from the sky |
cirrus | wispy "feather clouds |
cumulus | heaping clouds |
stratus | clouds covering the sky |
air pressure(density) | how much air is pushing on you |
high pressure system | where air pressure is at a peak or lull |
low pressure system | where air pressure is constant |
air mass | a large body of air |
front | where two air masses meet |
warm front | a warm air mass |
cold front | a cold air mass |
stationary front | where two air masses meet and move together |
occluded front | where two air masses cannot move |
evaporation | when a liquid heated and becomes a gas |
condensation | when a gas collects and becomes a liquid |
runoff | water from a rain storm |
anemometer | an instrument used to measure wind speed |
weather vane | an instrument used to tell the direction of wind |
wind chill | the extra little temperature that wind subtracts fromthe actual temperature |