Grade 9 AP science final exam

hi

What are the layers of the Earth's atmosphere responsible for the earth's weather?

The troposphere and stratosphere

What is the troposphere?

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere contains nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and other gases (1%), such as water vapor, argon, and carbon dioxide.

What is in the stratosphere?

The part of the atmosphere that contains the ozone layer(O3). It shields us from the sun's ultraviolet rays.

What is the hydrosphere?

Contains all the water on the earth's surface

What are the 3 ways of heat transfer

conduction, convection, radiation/latent heat

What is conduction

Transfer of energy from one place to another by contact (Imagine touching a hot stove; the heat travels through the stove's surface and into your hand because of conduction)

What is convection

Heat transfer in a fluid in which hot fluid rises and cold fluid sinks, setting up a cycle (liquids and gases)

What is radiation?

Energy transferred through electromagnetic waves, like light or heat from the sun.

What is latent heat?

Latent heat is the energy absorbed or released during a change of state

What are extreme weather systems?

Unusual or severe weather causing significant impacts on human health, buildings, and the environment.

What do weather station symbols show us?

Gives us info about atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, temperature, current weather conditions, and dew point

What is dewpoint?

The temperature at which condensation begins

How is humidity measured?

By the amount of moisture (water vapour) in the air

What is temperature measured in

Degrees Celsius

What are isotherms?

A line on a map connecting points having the same temperature at a given time or on average over a given period.

What are air masses?

large bodies of air that have uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure

The boundary that develops when a cold air mass meets a warm air mass

A front

What are the types of fronts

cold front, warm front, stationary front, occluded front

What is a cold front

a front that occurs when a cold air mass moves in and replaces a warm air mass, resulting in precipitation

what is a warm front

Warm air that moves forward and rises over top of the cooler air.

What is a stationary front

Where two air masses meet, but neither one advances.

What is an occluded front?

When a fast-moving cold front overtakes a slower-moving warm front, causing the warm air to be pushed and cut off from the surface. This process is common in the development of cyclones

What does RADAR stand for and what does it do?

RAdio, Detection, And Ranging (developed in WW2) it is used to detect strong echoes and helps meteorologists track and understand various weather

What do weather satellites show us?

They provide data on atmospheric conditions. They collect information like cloud cover, temperature, wind, and moisture.

What are the satellite types?

Polar orbiting satellites, Geostationary satellites, Visible satellites, Infrared satellites.

How are thunderstorms formed?

When warm, humid air rises in an unstable environment, lightning happens when fast-moving clouds rub against each other

How are hurricanes/cyclones formed

Warm, low-pressure systems that develop over tropical waters; winds spiral around a calm area known as the eye

How are tornadoes formed

High winds and updrafts collide, creating a circulating low-pressure system. The cloud begins to lower below the cloud base. The low pressure extends to the ground, picking up dust and debris, forming a tornado.

Similarities and differences between a hurricane and a tornado

Similarities: Produced by strong winds, go very fast, both have an "eye", both are dangerous

Tornado: Short-lived, caused destruction to things only in its path, Short diameter

Hurricane: Last long, Causes lots of distruction to things around it, Large diameter

What are winter storms?

Winter storms occur during the cooler months and are associated with low-pressure systems. They can bring strong winds, heavy precipitation (rain, freezing rain, snow, or ice pellets), and cold temperatures;

are associated with a low-pressure system that

develops along a front. They can produce strong

winds, heavy precipitation (such as rain, freezing rain,

ice pellets, or snow), and cold temperatures.

What is Scalar?

Give some examples

A measurement with just magnitude.

Time, distance, speed

What is a vector?

Give some examples

A measurement with magnitude and direction.

Velocity, acceleration, momentum, displacement