| A | B |
|---|
| electromagnetic waves | a form of energy that can travel through space |
| radiation | the direct transfer of energy through empty space by electromagnetic waves |
| infared radiation | a form of energy with wavelengths that are longer than visible light |
| untraviolet radiation | a form of energy with wavelengths that are shorter than visible light |
| scattering | reflection of light in all directions |
| thermal energy | the energy of motion in the molecules of a substance |
| temperature | the average amount of energy of motion in the moelcules of a substance |
| thermometer | an instrument used to measure temperature, consisting of a thin, glass tube with a bulb on one end that contains a liquid (usually mercury or alcohol) |
| heat | the energy transferred from a hotter object to a cooler one |
| conduction | the transfer of heat from one substance to another by direct contact of particles of matter |
| convection | the transfer of heat by movements of fluid |
| wind | the horizontal measurement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure |
| anemometer | an instrument used to measure wind speed |
| wind chill factor | increased cooling caused by the wind |
| local winds | winds that blows over short distances |
| sea breezes | the flow of air from an ocean or lake to the land |
| land breezes | the flow of air from land to a body of water |
| monsoon | sea and land breezes over a large region that change directions with the seasons |
| global winds | winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances |
| Coriolis effect | the way Earth's rotation makes winds in the Northern Hemisphere curve to the right and winds in the Southern Hemisphere curve to the left |
| latitude | the distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees |
| jet stream | bands of high speed winds about 10 kilometers above Earth's sruface |
| evaporation | the process by which molecules at the surface of a liquid such as water absorb enough energy to change to a gaseous state such as water vapor |
| humidity | a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air |
| relative humidity | the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount the air can hold at that temperature |
| psychrometer | an instrument used to measure relative humidity, consisting of a wet-bulb thermometer and a dry-bulb thermometer |
| condensation | the process by which a gas such as water vapor changes to a liquid such as water |
| dew point | the temperature at which condensation begins |
| cumulus | clouds that form less than 2 kilometers above the ground and look like fluffy, rounded piles of cotton |
| stratus | clouds that form in flat layers |
| cirrus | wispy feathery clouds made mostly of ice crystals that form at high levels above about 6 kilometers |
| precipiation | forms of water such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail that fall from clouds and reach Earth' surface |
| rain gauge | an instrument used to measure the amount of precipitation consisting of an open-ended cup topped by a collecting funnel and having a collecting tube and measuring scale inside |
| drought | a water shortage caused by long periods of low precipitation in a particular area |
