Quarter 1 Science Skills and Meteorology

The following goals are the main objectives we will cover this quarter. Please check them off as they are fulfilled. Demonstrate the ability to use proper safety procedures when conducting an investigation. Identify safety concerns in specific laboratory situations. Explain what must be done to change an unsafe situation into a safe one. Identify and describe the proper use of science lab equipment. Use proper lab safety procedures. Describe the composition of the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Define and describe the hydrosphere. Recognize and describe the function of the layers of Earths atmosphere. Describe the relationship between the composition of the troposphere and Earths weather. Recognize and describe the water cycle as the distribution and circulation of Earths water through glaciers, surface water, groundwater, oceans, and atmosphere. Identify the various stages and paths of the water cycle (such as rain, snow, glaciers, rivers, and groundwater). Describe the state of matter based on observable properties. Name and describe state changes (melting, freezing, evaporating, condensing). Describe cloud formation using the stages of the water cycle (condensation, evaporation, precipitation). Identify and compare the physical properties of fresh water and salt water. Compare the relative densities associated with fresh water, salt water, and ice. [G/T] Analyze the impact of an imbalance in the water cycle on the local environment (salinity, drought, flood, farming). [G/T]

 Identify and describe how the temperature and precipitation in a geographic area are affected by surface features and changes in atmospheric and ocean content. Relative location of mountains Volcanic eruptions Proximity to large bodies of water Heat energy of ocean currents Identify the observable or measurable elements of weather: air temperature, air pressure, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, wind direction, wind speed, cloud type, and cloud cover. Measure temperature accurately using a Celsius thermometer. Explain the relationship between cloud type and cloud cover and weather conditions. Identify and describe weather patterns associated with high and low pressure systems and four frontal systems using appropriate data displays including weather maps. Based on observable phenomena, describe conduction and convection. Based on observable phenomena, describe that radiation does not require matter to transfer heat energy. Apply the concept of heat transfer to everyday situations related to weather. Explain how relative differences in convection affect air pressure. [G/T] Interpret weather symbols and graphic images. [G/T] Identify and describe the atmospheric and hydrospheric conditions associated with the formation and development of hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms. Identify and describe how various tools (barometer, thermometer, anemometer and psychrometer) are used to collect weather data and forecast weather conditions. Recognize and explain that forecast models or simulations vary in their reliability. Use various sources of authentic weather data (such as satellite images, weather stations, webbased sources and newspapers) to identify the stages in the development of weather phenomenon such as hurricanes and noreasters. Analyze, summarize, and explain, given a set of real-life data, the data essential to predicting local weather events and large-scale phenomena. [G/T]

Into Thin Air

The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth. On Earth, all life exists in the troposphere -- the lowest and densest layer of the atmosphere, composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and trace amounts of other gases like water vapor. Nearly all organisms require oxygen to survive; humans rely on the oxygen in every breath of air that enters their lungs. The chemical composition of the troposphere is fairly uniform (the same), so it might seem that humans should be able survive at any elevation. However, as altitude increases and atmospheric pressure decreases, there is less oxygen available in each breath.

Even though there is less oxygen available to the climbers, their bodies can learn to compensate. The human body survives by breathing air into lungs. The oxygen from the air is transferred from the lungs to the blood, which then transports it throughout the body. Mountain climbers' bodies can adjust to high-altitude air in several ways, such as increasing the frequency of breathing and increasing blood flow. However, if climbers do not allow enough time for their bodies to acclimatize, or if the air is simply too thin, they may suffer from high-altitude sickness. At a towering height of about 8,800 meters (29,000 feet), Mount Everest seems to be at the limit at which the human body can survive. Most climbers cannot reach the summit of Everest without the help of supplementary oxygen, though have been a few extraordinary individuals whose bodies have been able to successfully adapt.

In the picture above, draw small circles representing air molecules. Make sure to draw more air molecules where the pressure would be high and less where the pressure would be low.

Earth's gravity pulls on the gas molecules in air, creating atmospheric pressure. Air or atmospheric pressure is a measure of how much the air above you weights. Air that is closer to the ground is compressed by the weight of all the air above it. At sea level, the weight of air on one square-meter of area is about 1.2 kg. At higher altitudes, there is less pressure because less air is pushing down from above. Less atmospheric pressure means that the density of the air is lower. With fewer air molecules in a given volume of space, there are fewer oxygen molecules available, even though the air is still 21% oxygen. For mountain climbers at extreme altitudes, such as at the top of Mount Everest where the air is only about one-third as dense as the air at sea level, it is a challenge to be able to get enough oxygen in each breath. The decreased atmospheric pressure and low levels of oxygen can have very dangerous effects on a climber's body.

1. Define Atmosphere. The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet or moon like the Earth. 2. What happens to the oxygen as you go higher in altitude? As you move higher into the atmosphere, the concentration of oxygen molecules decreases. This means that there is less oxygen for a person to breath the higher up they go. 3. Why does air pressure decrease as altitude increases? Air pressure decreases as altitude increases because there is less air pressing down from above the higher you go. 4. Pretend you just finished climbing Mount Everest and are giving an interview about your climb. Your first question is: How did air pressure affect your climb. Explain. Talk about what it was like breathing and climbing. Be creative! Answers will vary. Students should mention that as they climb higher there are less air molecules, meaning there is less oxygen for you to breathe. Hypoxia which is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain has symptoms that include: lack of appetite, dizziness, headache, hallucinations, and shortness of breath.

WHAT ARE THE LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE? There are four main layers of the atmosphere: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. You cannot actually see these different layers. The divisions between the layers are based on how each layers temperature changes with height. Each layer is made of a different combination of gases. Air temperature depends on the gases in the atmosphere. Some gases absorb energy from the sun better than others. When a gas absorbs energy from the sun, the air temperature goes up. THE TROPOSPHERE The troposphere is the layer of the atmosphere that we live in. It is where most of the water vapor, carbon dioxide, pollution, and living things on Earth exist. Weather conditions such as clouds, wind and rain all take place in the troposphere. Airplanes fly at the top of the troposphere. The troposphere is also the densest layer of the atmosphere. This is because the troposphere is at the bottom with all the other layers pushing down from above. Almost 90% of the gases in the atmosphere are in the troposphere. As you move higher into the troposphere (say, to the top of a mountain), both air temperature and air pressure decrease. THE STRATOSPHERE As you go up from the ground, the temperature decreases. At an altitude of about 15 km, however, it starts to increase. This marks the beginning of the stratosphere. The main reason the temperature increases in the stratosphere is because of a gas called ozone. Ozone absorbs energy from the sun, making the temperature of the atmosphere increase. The ozone layer is important for life on Earth because it absorbs harmful ultraviolet energy. THE MESOSPHERE Above the ozone layer, at an altitude of about 50 km, the temperature begins to drop again. This marks the bottom of the mesosphere. The temperature keeps decreasing all the way up to 80 km. The temperatures in the mesosphere can be as low as -93C, that is -135F! If you have ever seen a shooting star, you have seen a meteor burning up in the mesosphere. The mesosphere protects Earths surface from being hit by most meteoroids , which are chunks of stone from space. THE THERMOSPHERE The thermosphere is the uppermost layer of the atmosphere. In the thermosphere, temperatures begin to rise again. The thermosphere gets its name from its extremely high temperatures, which can be above 1,000C. Therm means heat. The temperatures in the thermosphere are so high because it contains a lot of oxygen and nitrogen, which absorb energy from the sun. Because the thermosphere is so big it is split into two parts, the lower part, the ionosphere, is where the aurora borealis-the Northern Lights- occur. The aurora borealis is caused when particles from the sun enter the atmosphere and strike the gases in our atmosphere.

Exosphere- 1 fact
The start of space

Thermosphere It is the hottest layer The northern lights, or aurora borealis occur here

Mesosphere Temperature decreases as you go higher, it is the coldest layer Meteors burn up here

Stratosphere
The ozone layer occurs here Temperature increases as you go higher

TroposphereTemperature and pressure decrease with height We live here All weather occurs here Planes fly at the top of the troposphere

ATMOSPHERE STUDY GUIDE

The order of the atmospheric layers: _________Exosphere___________ (Highest) _________Thermosphere________ _________Mesosphere__________ _________Stratosphere__________ _________Troposphere__________ (Lowest)

In the troposphere temperature goes down (gets colder) as you go higher. In the mesosphere temperature goes down (gets colder) as you go higher. In the stratosphere temperature goes up (gets warmer) as you go higher. In the thermosphere temperature goes up (gets warmer) as you go higher. Meteors burn up in the mesosphere. Almost all weather occurs in the troposphere. The aurora borealis occurs in the thermosphere. The ozone layer occurs in the stratosphere. The ozone layer protects us from ultraviolet radiation What gases make up the atmosphere? What are their percents?
o _____Nitrogen_________= __78_% o _____Oxygen__________= __21_% o _____Other____________= __1_%

Define atmosphere:
A mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth

What is air pressure?

A measure of how much the air above you weighs

As altitude increases, air pressure decreases.

HEAT TRANSFER
Heat is energy that is transferred between two objects or substances of different temperatures; heat typically flows from a warmer material to a cooler material. Generally, when heat is transferred to a material, the motion of its particles speeds up and its temperature increases. There are three methods of heat transfer: radiation, conduction, and convection. Radiation transfers energy by electromagnetic waves, a method in which heat can transfer even through empty space (through outer space, for example). When electromagnetic radiation strikes an object, the energy carried by the electromagnetic wave is transferred to the object, causing the particle motion within the object to increase, or get hot. For example, a microwave oven emits microwave radiation to transfer heat to food. Similarly, the reason that you can feel the warmth of an object at a distance, such as from the Sun or a light bulb, is due to the transfer of heat by radiation. While all matter emits and absorbs electromagnetic radiation, some materials are better at absorbing radiation than others; shiny surfaces, for example, tend to reflect rather than absorb radiation. Conduction transfers heat through direct contact. If two objects are placed in contact with each other, heat flows from the warmer object (with faster-moving particles) to the cooler object (with slower-moving particles) by the direct interaction of the particles. For example, when a hot pan is placed on a counter, the counter increases in temperature. Some materials, such as metals, are good conductors of heat while other materials, such as glass, wood, plastic, and air, are not. Materials that are not good at transferring heat by conduction are known as insulators. Convection transfers heat through the movement of fluids or gases in a circular motion. A pot of water heated on a stove provides an example. The pot itself, and then water at the bottom, becomes heated by conduction. When water is heated, it expands, becomes less dense, and rises up through the surrounding cooler water. The cooler, denser water then sinks to the bottom of the pot where it, in turn, is heated. The convection currentthe circulating path of hot water rising and cold water sinkingtransfers heat by actually moving the warmer water to a new area. You can see this by looking at the boiling of the water.

RADIATION Rays

CONDUCTION Touch

CONVECTION Hot Rises

Cool Sinks

HEAT TRANSFER FOLDABLE

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The Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere is all of the water that exists on the earth. Seventy-one percent of the earth is water. This includes all of the water in the atmosphere, all of the water underground, and all of the water in oceans, rivers, swamps, lakes, puddles, icebergs, and toilets. All of this is in the hydrosphere. About 97 percent of this water is in the oceans of the earth. A little over two percent is in ice like glaciers and ice shelves. Less than one percent is in the atmosphere, lakes, streams, and groundwater. The water cycle is the process of water moving from one place to another in the hydrosphere. Water in the ocean or lake evaporates and rises in the atmosphere. When water evaporates it turns from a liquid to a gas. The clouds are condensation or water vapor collected on small dust or salt particles. Condensation is when a gas changes into a liquid. The water returns to earth in the form of precipitation or rain, snow, sleet or hail. Some of the rain sinks into the earth and becomes groundwater, and some runs down the hills as runoff. The runoff flows through rivers back to the ocean or lake.

1. Around 1 % of earths water can be used for drinking water if it were clean and unpolluted. 2. Water that flows over the earths surface is called runoff 3. Evaporation is the process of a liquid changing into a gas. 4. Condensation is the process of a gas changing into a liquid. 5. Water under the ground is called groundwater 6. Precipitation is when water returns to earth as rain, hail, sleet, or snow.

Condensation

Precipitation Evaporation

Runoff

Groundwater

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THE STEPS TO FORM A CLOUD

1. Warm air and evaporation are forced upwards.

2. The warm air cools and expands. 3. Water vapor molecules in the air condense around particles of dust and salt in the air. Millions of water droplets come together to form a cloud.

4.

This picture shows water droplets condensing onto dust/salt in the air

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Clouds!
Fill in the blank using words from the word bank. fuzzy cirrus condenses water vapor cumulus solid clouds stratus ice crystals 1. The air around us is full of water vapor. 2. When it cools, it condenses around particles of dust and smoke to make tiny water droplets. 3. Clouds form when millions of these water droplets gather together. 4. When it is really cold, water vapor will form into ice crystals instead of droplets. 5. Clouds made of water droplets have solid edges and are gray if thick enough. 6. Clouds with ice crystals have fuzzy edges and are almost pure white. 7. Cumulus clouds look like cotton balls. They are puffy and white and have flat bottoms. 8. Stratus clouds form in layers. Fog is made of these low clouds. 9. Feather-like Cirrus clouds are made of ice crystals. They are bright white with wispy edges. Write the meanings for the following cloud terminology: Strato- Spread out and sheet like Cirro- High up, wispy, made of ice crystals Cumulo- Piled up and puffy Nimbo- Rainy and dark Alto- Mid level clouds What would cumulonimbus clouds be like? A piled up and puffy dark rain cloud

What would altostratus clouds be like? A mid-level spread out sheet cloud

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Name That Cloud!

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CLOUD FOLDABLE
Cirrus Clouds
Thin Feathery White Forms at high altitudes Forms with strong winds When thick, they can mean a change in weather Made of ice crystals not water droplets What they remind me of.. White hair Paint brush strokes Tooth brush Very cold

Cumulus Clouds
Puffy White Flat bottoms Forms when warm air rises Usually means nice weather Thunderstorms can come from cumulonimbus clouds What they remind me of.. Cotton balls Mashed potatoes Piles of snow Animal shapes

Stratus Clouds
Form in layers Covers large areas of the sky Can block out the sun Caused by gentle lifting of air Nimbostratus cause continuous rain Fog is a low stratus cloud What they remind me of.. Depressing Wet White blanket Dreary

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Factors that Affect Weather

There are many factors that influence the weather, thus making it very hard to predict. A location's weather depends on air temperature, air pressure, humidity, cloud type and cover, precipitation, and wind speed and direction. Meteorologists use different tools to measure the weather. For instance a rain gauge is used to measure the amount of precipitation an area receives. Temperature Air is made up of molecules that are always moving randomly, or without any set pattern, even when there is no wind. Temperature is a measure of the average amount of motion of molecules. When temperature is high, air molecules move rapidly and it feels warm. When the temperature is low, air molecules move more slowly and it feels cold. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. In science we use a Celsius thermometer. Humidity When talking about weather, we often hear the word "humidity." Humidity is a measure of how much or how little water vapor is in the air. In summer, the air may feel sticky. Then there is a lot of humidity; there is a lot of water vapor in the air. Weather people often talk about "relative humidity." Relative humidity compares the amount of water vapor in the air with the amount of water vapor the air could hold at a certain temperature. It is a percentage. For example, the weatherman might say that the relative humidity is thirty percent. He means that the air holds thirty percent of the water vapor it could hold at the current temperature. Relative humidity is measured using a psychrometer. The current temperature is important in talking about water vapor. The temperature of the air determines how much water vapor the air can hold. The warmer the air is, the more water vapor it can hold. Weather people also talk about the "dew point." Dew point is the temperature at which water vapor will start to condense out of the air as liquid water. If the ground is cooler than the air, the liquid water may collect as dew. If the air temperature drops, the liquid water may fall as rain. Knowing the temperature and the dew point can help you tell whether or not it will rain. For example, suppose a weather person says that the temperature is seventy degrees. She says that the dew point is sixty-six degrees. You know that if the relative humidity is high and the temperature falls to sixty-six degrees, it will rain. Air Pressure Pressure in the atmosphere varies over Earths surface. You may have heard a weather forecaster talk about high- and low-pressure systems. Low-pressure systems are masses of rising air. When air rises and cools, clouds form. Thats why areas of low pressure usually have cloudy weather. But high-pressure air masses have a sinking motion. As a result, its hard for air to rise and for clouds to form. So, high pressure usually means nice weather. Temperature, elevation and water vapor call effect air pressure. Temperature affects air pressure because when air is cooler, molecules are closer together, creating high pressure. When air is heated, it expands and becomes less dense. This creates lower pressure. Elevation, as we talked about earlier affects air pressure because as altitude increases the air becomes thinner or less dense. Water vapor particles have less mass than particles of nitrogen or oxygen (the main atmospheric gases), so the more water vapor in the air, the less dense the air is. This means that air with a large amount of water vapor in it exerts less pressure than drier air.

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Another term for air pressure is barometric pressure. A barometer is an instrument that measures air pressure. All barometers contain some kind of fluid that responds to changing pressure. That fluid can be water, air, or mercury. Because air pressure varies with temperature and elevation, standard air pressure is measured at 0C at sea level. A barometer can help you predict changes in the weather. Remember, water vapor affects air pressure. If the barometer reading goes down, it means there is more water vapor in the air. A rainstorm is probably on its way. A rising barometer means there is less water vapor in the air. You can expect clear skies ahead. Wind Air that moves in one direction is called wind. The sun heats Earth unevenly, but wind helps spread the heat around. As the sun warms the Earths surface, air near the surface is heated by conduction. The air expands, and becomes less dense, and rises. Warm rising air has low atmospheric pressure. Cool, dense air sinks, bringing abut high atmospheric pressure. Wind results because air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Wind can be measured by speed or direction. A wind vane, sometime seen on houses or barns, has an arrow that points in the direction from which the wind is blowing. An anemometer is an instrument that measures wind speed. Anemometers have 3-4 open cups that catch the wind and cause the anemometer to spin. The faster the wind blows, the faster the anemometer spins. Label the images below:

Barometer

Psychrometer

Wind Vane

Anemometer

List the factors that affect weather: Air temperature, air pressure, humidity, cloud type and cover, precipitation, and wind speed and direction At a temperature of 25C the air can hold ~22 g/m3 Dew point is: The temperature at which water begins to condense out of the air that surrounds it.

The three factors that affect air pressure are: Temperature, water vapor, and elevation Air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. 17

TEMPERATURE Definition: A measure of the average amount of motion of molecules

Tool used to measure: Thermometer Why is knowing the temperature useful? So you know what to wear. So you know what type of precipitation will occur. So you farmers know when to plant and harvest crops so they do not freeze.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY Definition: A percent that compares the amount of water vapor in the air
with the amount of water that the air could hold. Tool(s) used to measure: Psychrometer Why is knowing humidity useful? High humidity can cause mold. 100% humidity would mean it would be very foggy and/or rainy. High humidity would make it feel sticky out. Low humidity could dry out your skin.

AIR PRESSURE

Definition: The weight of the atmosphere pressing down on us. High pressure = nice/sunny weather Low Pressure= bad/rainy weather Tool used to measure: Barometer Why is knowing about air pressure useful? Falling pressure indicates bad or stormy weather is coming, like hurricanes or tornadoes. Rising pressure indicates that the weather will be getting better.

WIND

Definition: Air that moves in one direction. Wind moves from high pressure to low pressure.

Tool(s) used to measure and what they measure: Wind Vain/Sock= wind direction, Anemometer= wind speed Why is knowing about the wind useful? So you can predict when and where storms will hit. You know the direction weather is moving in. Wind makes it feel colder.

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Type of Front

Picture of Front

How it Forms

Weather it Brings

Cold Front

Forms when a cold air mass pushes under a warm air mass, forcing the warm air to rise.

Thunderheads can form as the moisture in the warm air mass rises, cools, and condenses. As the front moves through, cool, fair weather is likely to follow.

Warm Front

Forms when a moist, warm air mass slides up and over a cold air mass.

As the warm air mass rises, it condenses into a broad area of clouds. A warm front brings gentle rain or light snow, followed by warmer, milder weather.

Stationary Front

Forms when warm and cold air meet and neither air mass has the force to move the other. They remain standing still.

Where the warm and cold air meet, clouds and fog form, and it may rain or snow. Can bring many days of clouds and precipitation.

Occluded Front

Forms when a warm air mass gets caught between two cold air masses. The warm air mass rises as the cool air masses push and meet in the middle.

The temperature drops as the warm air mass is cut off, from the ground and pushed upward. Can bring strong winds and heavy precipitation.

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THE STEPS OF HURRICANE FORMATION

Fill in the blanks below. 1. The center of a hurricane is called a(n) eye. 2. The strongest winds are found the wall of/around the eye. 3. Warm water fuels a hurricane. 4. Hurricanes form over warm tropical/ocean water. 5. Water vapor rises and adds energy to a hurricane. 6. Hurricanes lose strength when they go over land or cold water 7. Wind speeds of 119 kph are strong enough to start a hurricane. 8. A hurricanes storm surge is the most deadly part of a hurricane. 9. Hurricanes rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Once hurricanes reach land, they can cause major damage. List four ways a hurricane can damage an area. The storm surge can cause flooding and can damage crops, the winds can damage buildings, wind blown debris can hit buildings and people, trees can be uprooted, hurricanes can cause tornadoes

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