Weather Unit (16 terms)

weather

the minute-by-minute variations in the atmosphere's conditions in a location

precipitation

any liquid or solid form of water that falls to the ground from above

hailstone

a pellet of hail

humidity

moisture (water vapor) in the air

weather conditions

the conditions of the atmosphere that are used to describe the weather

atmosphere

the layers of gasses surrounding Earth

radiosonde

an instrument carried by a weather balloon that measures temperature, humidity, air pressure, and wind speed and direction

troposphere

the bottom layer of Earth's atmosphere

density

the relationship between the amount of matter in a sample and its volume (the amount of space it takes up)

radiation

the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves

conduction

the transfer of thermal energy by collisions between particles of matter

convection

the transfer of thermal energy by the movement of matter within a fluid

relative humidity

expressed as a percent, it is the amount of water vapor in the air compared to the amount that air at that temperature can hold

evaporation

when individual water molecules on the surface of a liquid gain enough kinetic energy to leave the liquid and become a gas

condensation

when water vapor changes to a liquid as it cools

deposition

when water vapor changes directly into ice such as snowflakes or frost