| A | B |
|---|
| Scientific Method | series of sequential steps used to collect data and prove a hypothesis |
| Problem | Question wanted to be solved in experiment |
| Hypothesis | An educated guess |
| Experiment | Used to prove/solve question |
| Trials | # of times experiment is repeated |
| Data | Info. collected during experiment |
| Constants | Part of experiment that stays the same |
| Conclusion | states answer to hypothesis |
| Meteorology | Study of the earth's atmosphere |
| Seasons | 4 different periods of diff. weather patterns |
| Spring Equinox | March 21-22; Both Hemispheres are EQUAL |
| Summer Solstice | June 21-22; Northern Hemisphere is tilted TOWARDS the sun |
| Autumn Equinox | September 21-22; Both hemispheres are EQUAL |
| Winter Solstice | December 21-22; Northern Hemisphere tilted AWAY from sun |
| What causes the earth's seasons? | The tilt of Earth on its axis |
| Barometer | Measures atmospheric pressure |
| Anemometer | Measures wind speed |
| Weather Vane | Tells wind direction |
| Thermometer | Finds/Measures temperature |
| Sling Psychrometer | Measures relative humidity |
| Station Circle | Tells the Weather observations |
| Origin of Earth's FIRST atmosphere? | Volcanic Eruptions |
| Composition of atmosphere? | 80%-Nitrogen; 20%-Oxygen |
| Layers of atmosphere? | Thermosphere, Mesosphere, Stratosphere, Troposhere |
| Coldest layer? | Mesosphere |
| Thermocline | a 'line' that shows the temperature throughout the atmosphere |
| Troposphere | all life lives here, all O2, all H2O, only layer w/ clouds and weather |
| Ozone Layer | blocks out 99% of UV radiation |
| Greenhouse Effect | Natural; keeps us warm |
| Global Warming | Unnatural; the warming of the earths atmosphere; caused by an increase in greenhouse gases |
| Solar Radiation | all energy emitted by sun |
| IR | Infared Radiation; heats earth and ocean; sun is source of heat |
| Visible Light Spectrum | Roy G Biv |
| UV | UltraViolet Radiation; Burns skin; Blocked by ozone layer |
| Dew Point | temperature at which water vapor will condense out of the air |
| Clouds formed by? | Moisture, Dew point, Low pressure, condensation nuclei |
| Cirrus | high level, wispy, ice crystals, precurser to rain |
| Cumulus | low level, puffy |
| Cumulonimbus | thunder clouds |
| Stratus | low level, layers/blankets |
| Nimbostratus | extended rainstorms/showers |
| Fog | low cloud |
| Precipitation | the falling of any form of water from the air to earths surface, occuring when cloud droplets become heavy enough to fall |
| Rain | water that falls from the air to earths surface |
| Sleet | frozen raindrops |
| Freezing rain | rain that freezes on contact |
| Snow | clumps of six-sided crystals, which grow by collision |
| Hail | precipitation in the form of irregular balls or lumps made of concentric layers of ice |
| Wind | moving air; moving from High to Low pressure |
| Land Breeze | Land to sea; high to low pressure; low at sea |
| Sea Breeze | Sea to land; high pressure at sea; low at land; occurs during day |
| Low Pressure | Moves counterclockwise |
| High Pressure | Moves clockwise |
| Coriolis Effect | The apparent shift of moving objects |
| Air Masses | A huge section of the lower tropospher that has the same kind of weather throughout |
| mT | Maritime Tropical: warm and humid |
| cT | Continental Tropical: warm and dry |
| mP | Maritime Polar: cool and humid |
| cP | Continental Polar: cool and dry |
| Fronts | The boundary between any two air masses |
| Warm Fronts | Temp. increases; stratus and nimbostratus; slow; steady rain |
| Cold Fronts | Temperature drops; cumulus and cumulonimbus; fast; thunderstorms/violent weather |
| Isobars | same atm. pressure |
| Isotherms | same atm. temperature |
| What is the metric system based upon? | 10 |
| length-> | meter |
| mass--> | gram |
| volume--> | liter |
| Longitude | angular distance east or west of the Prime Meridian |
| Meridians | semicircles that run North and South from pole to pole |
| Prime Meridian | 0 Degrees Longitude; divides earth into 2 equal halves, the western and southern hemisphere |
| Latitude | angular distance north or south of the equator |
| Parallels | imaginary lines that circle the world from east to west parallel to the equator |
| Equator | imaginary line from which latitude is measured; divides earth into northern and southern hemisphere |
| Mercator Projection | map |
| Globe | most accurate representation of earth |
| topographic map | shows shape of land |
