Studied by 3 peopleStorms account for what percentage of natural disasters?
75%
What is the definition of weather?
conditions in the atmosphere at a given time and place
What are some weather conditions?
temperature, moisture, wind, pressure
Where do these weather conditions occur?
in the troposphere
What does heat have to do with a storm?
it's the energy that powers the storm
Heat energy from the sun is turned into what?
sensible heat and latent heat
What is sensible heat?
heat we can sense or feel (or measure)
What is an example of sensible heat?
temperature
What is latent heat?
"hidden" heat energy absorbed during a state change like melting
What happens if liquid water becomes gaseous?
heat is take from the surroundings
What happens if gaseous water becomes liquid?
heat is transferred to the surroundings
What is an energy source for storms?
humid air
What is absolute humidity?
amount of water vapor in the air
How do you calculate this?
mass of water/mass of air
The total amount of water vapor in the air varies with what?
temperature
What is relative humidity?
percentage of the maximum water vapor that could be in the air at a given temperature
How do you calculate relative humidity?
current absolute humidity/ highest possible absolute humidity
What does 100% relative humidity mean?
the air is completely saturated with water vapor, so rain is possible
What type of air is the least dense?
warm air is less dense than cold air
What does the evaporation of water store?
heat energy in air as latent heat
Note
Flashcard