vocab word | definition | hint |
electromagnetic waves | a form of energy that can move through the vaccum of space. They are classified according to wavelength (remember the spectrum?) | book 3 section 1 pg. 36 |
radiation | the direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves | book 3 section 1 pg. 36 |
Visible light | this type of electromagnetic radiation arrives in the form of colors you can see. it has the medium wavelenghth in this chapter | book 3 section 1 pg. 37 |
infrared radiation | has wavelenghths that are longer than red light. This type of electromagnetic radiation is not visible, but it can be felt as heat | book 3 section 1 pg. 37 |
ultraviolet radiation | an invisible form of radiation that is shorter than violet light. it can cause sunburns, eye damage, adn skin cancer | book 3 section 1 pg. 37 |
scattering | a process in which dust particles and gases in the atmosphere reflect in all directions | book 3 section 1 pg. 38 |
greenhouse effect | the process in which gases hold heat in the air | book 3 section 1 pg. 39 |
tempature | the average amount o fenergy of motion of each paticle of a substance | book 3 section 2 pg. 43 |
thermal energy | the total energy of motion in the particles of a substance | book 3 section 2 pg. 43 |
thermometer | a thin glass tube with a bulb on one end that contains liquid, usually mercury or colored alcohol. air tempature is measured with this. | book 3 section 2 pg. 43 |
heat | the transfer of thermal energy from a hotter object to a cooler object | book 3 section 2 pg. 44 |
conduction | the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another substance that it is touching | book 3 section 2 pg. 44 |
convection | the transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid | book 3 section 2 pg. 44 |
the 3 ways heat is transferred | conduction, convection, and radiation | book 3 section 2 pg. 44 |
convection currents | it is formed by the upward movement of warm air and the downward movement of cool air | book 3 section 2 pg. 44 |
wind | the horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure | book 3 section 3 pg. 47 |
anemometer | a device that measures wind speed | book 3 section 3 pg. 47 |
wind- chill factor | the increased cooling a wind can cause | book 3 section 3 pg. 47 |
local winds | winds that blow over short distances | book 3 section 3 pg. 48 |
sea breeze or lake breeze | a local wind that blows from an ocean or a lake | book 3 section 3 pg. 48 |
land breeze | the flow of air from the land to a body of water | book 3 section 3 pg. 48 |
global winds | winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances | book 3 section 3 pg. 49 |
coriolis effect | the way the earth's rotation makes winds curve | book 3 section 3 pg. 49 |
latitude | distance from the equator measured in degrees | book 3 section 3 pg. 50 |
jet streams | a type of wind about 10 km abouve the earths surface are bands of high speed winds called _____________. | book 3 section 3 pg. 52 |
water cycle | the movement of water between the atmosphere and the earth's surface | book 3 section 4 pg. 54 |
evaporation | the process by which water molecules in liquid escape into the airas water vapor | book 3 section 4 pg. 54 |
humidity | a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air | book 3 section 4 pg. 55 |
relative humidity | the percentage of water vapor that is actually in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a certain tempature | book 3 section 4 pg. 55 |
psychrometer | a device to measure relative humidity. has two thermometers, a wetbulb thermometer and a dry- bulb thermometer. | book 3 section 4 pg. 56 |
condensation | the process in which water vapor becomes a fluid | book 3 section 4 pg. 57 |
dew point | the tempature at which condensation begins | book 3 section 4 pg. 57 |
cirrus | whispy, feathery clouds | book 3 section 4 pg. 58 |
cumulus | clouds that look like fluffy, rounded piles of cotton | book 3 section 4 pg. 58 |
stratus | clouds that form in flat layers | book 3 section 4 pg. 58 |
precipitation | any form of water that falls from the clouds and reaches earth's surface | book 3 section 5 pg. 61 |
droughts | long periods of unusually low precipitation | book 3 section 5 pg. 64 |
cloud seeding | a method to modify precipitation so some form of precipitation will fall | book 3 section 5 pg. 64 |