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ch.3 air currents
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| weather | the condition of earths atmosphere at a particular time and place |
| atmosphere | the envelope of gases that surrounds earth |
| water vapor | water in the form of a gas |
| density | the ratio of the mass of a substance to its volume (mass divided by volume) |
| air pressure | the pressure caused by the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area |
| barometer | an instrument used to measure changes in air pressure |
| mercury barometer | an instrument that measures changes in air pressure, consisting of a glass tube partially filled with mercury, with its open end resting in a dish of mercury |
| aneroid barometer | an instrument that measures changes in air pressure without using a liquid |
| altitude | elevation above sea level |
| troposphere | the lowest layer of earths atmosphere |
| stratosphere | the second-lowest layer of earth's atmosphere |
| mesosphere | the layer of earths atmosphere immediately above the stratosphere |
| thermosphere | the outermost layer of earths atmosphere |
| ionsphere | the lower part of the thermosphere |
| exosphere | the outer layer of the thermosphere |
| electromagnetic waves | a wave that can transfer electric and magnetic energy through the vacuum of space |
| radiation | the transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves |
| infrared radiation | electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are longer than visible light but shorter than microwaves |
| ultraviolet radiation | electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are shorter than visible light but longer than x-rays |
| scattering | the reflection of light in all directions |
| greenhouse effect | the trapping of heat near a planets surface by certain gases in the planets atmosphere |