Science Study Guide- Chapter 6

Vocabulary: 1. barometer- a tool that measures air pressure. 2. condensation-the process of water vapor, a gas, changing to a liquid. 3. meteorologist- a scientist who studies and measures weather conditions. 4. evaporation- changing from liquid water to water vapor. 5. wind vane- a tool that shows the direction from which the wind is blowing. 6. front- the place where two different air masses meet. 7. anemometer- a tool that measures wind speed. 8. precipitation- any form of water falling from the air to Earth’s surface. 9. humidity- the amount of water vapor in the air.

Facts: 1. ¾ of Earth’s surface is water. 2. Contrast oceans with fresh water; oceans are salty and fresh water is not. 3. Air pressure is lower at the top of a mountain. 4. The Baltic Sea is less salty than other seas because many rivers flow into it. 5. The ocean is more salty in warm, dry places because more water evaporates leaving behind more salt. 6. Air Pressure is lower as you go higher in the atmosphere. 7. Weather is caused by differences in humidity, temperature, and pressure. 8. The Sun’s role in the water cycle is water evaporates from the Sun’s warmth. 9. When moist air rises it cools, and the water vapor condenses into clouds. 10. Water’s three forms are solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (water vapor). 11.Condensation is water vapor becoming liquid water as it cools. 12. Fronts are shown as curving lines on a weather map. 13. Air is a force that surrounds Earth. 14. When there is an area of lower pressure nearby the water vapor in the air becomes less dense. 15. You often see clouds along a cold front because the water vapor in the warm air mass cools and condenses into clouds. 16. Stratus clouds are close to the ground and often bring rain or snow. 17. When a cold air mass meets a warm air mass that is not moving the cold air sinks, the warm air rises, cools and condenses, strong winds blow, heavy precipitation happens, it moves fast, and then gets cold. (Do your skit.) 18. When a warm air mass meets a cold air mass, the warm air cools and condenses, cirrus clouds form, slowly air spreads out and flat stratus clouds form, there is long precipitation, then the weather clears and cumulus clouds form, and now the weather is warmer. (Do your skit.)

Parts of the Water Characteristics of Tools Used to Study Cycle Air Masses Weather evaporation temperature barometer condensation humidity anemometer precipitation pressure wind vane thermometer rain gauge hygrometer