Science chapter 8

weather

the state of the atmosphere at a certain time and place

climate

the year-round weather typical of a certain place

meteorology

the study of weather and of the atmospheric conditions that produce weather

three factors that work together to cause the earths variable weather

(1)heat energy

(2)uneven distrubution

(3)water vapor in the atmosphere

melting

the process of going from a solid to a liquid

freezing

in which the molecules of a liquid lose enough energy to become “locked” in fixed positions

evaporation

the process of a liquid becoming a gas

condensation

if molecules in water vapor lose enough energy, they will return to a liquid state in the process

saturated

when water in the air is evaporating at the same rate that it is condensing

humidity

the amount of water vapor in the air

relative humidity

ratio of actual humidity to the humidity of saturated air under the same conditions

dew point

temperature in which cool air becomes saturated

dew

the water vapor in the air that touches the cooler ground condenses into drops of water

condensation nuclei

any of the atmospheric particles on which the air’s water condenses

frost point

if the dewpoint of air is below the freezing point of water

deposition

the process where the air’s water can skip the liquid stage and changes directly into a crystal of ice on a surface

supercooled

describes water vapor, whose temperature is below the freezing point of water

frost

light feather deposits of ice crystals that form on surface when the surrounding the air is below, its frost point

freezing nuclei

any of the microscopic particles that become the center for ice crystals in the air