Study Guide for Basic Weather

Storms 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