| A | B |
|---|
| Electromagnetic waves | A form of energy that can travel through space |
| Radiation | Direct transfer of energy through waves |
| Infrared radiation | A form of energy with wavelengths that are longer than visible red light |
| Ultraviolet radiation | A form of energy with wavelengths that are shorter than violet light |
| Scattering | Reflection of light in all directions |
| Greenhouse effect | The process by which the atmosphere holds heat |
| Thermal energy | The total kinetic energy of each molecule of a substance (kinetic = motion) |
| Temperature | The average kinetic energy all of the particles in a substance |
| Thermometer | Device that measures temperature by allowing an expanding liquid to rise up a column |
| Heat | The energy transferred to a colder object from a hotter object. |
| Conduction | Direct transfer of heat by touching |
| Convection | Transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid (liquid and gasses are fluids) |
| Wind | The horizontal movement of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure |
| Wind-chill factor | The increased cooling that a wind can cause |
| Local wind | Winds caused by unequal heating of small areas of the surface that flow short distances |
| Sea breeze | Local winds coming from over water to the land (morning/day) |
| Land breeze | Local winds coming from over the land to the water (evening/night) |
| Monsoon | Sea breezes over large areas that change direction with the seasons and bring rains |
| Global wind | Winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances |
| Coriolis effect | The way that Earth’s rotation causes the winds in the northern hemisphere to curve to the right and the winds in the southern hemisphere to curve to the left. |
| Jet stream | Bands of high speed winds that circulate in a wavy path around the globe. |
| Evaporation | The process by which liquid water molecules escape into the air as water vapor |
| Humidity | The measure of the amount of water vapor in the air |
| Relative humidity | The measure of the amount of water vapor in the air COMPARED to the maximum amount of moisture that the air could hold |
| Psychrometer | A weather tool made up of two thermometers; one with a wet cloth around the end and one without. They are spun on an axis in the air so that the wet one can cool. The difference between the two readings is then used on a relative humidity chart to compute the relative humidity. |
| Condensation | The process by which water molecules in the air become liquid |
| Dew point | The temperature at which condensation begins |
| Cumulus | Clouds that look like fluffy, rounded piles of cotton. |
| Stratus | Clouds that form in flat layers |
| Cirrus | Wispy, feathery clouds of ice particles that form above 6 kilometers |
| Precipitation | Any form of water that falls from the clouds to Earth’s surface (rain, sleet, hail, snow…) |
| Rain gauge | Weather instrument that measures the amount of rainfall |
| Drought | Long periods of unusually low precipitation |
| Anemometer | A weather instrument used to measure wind speed |
| Latitude | The distance from the equator, measured in degrees |
