General Meterology Chap. 3

Boyle’s Law

If the temperature of a fixed mass of gas is held constant, the volume of the gas is inversely proportional to its pressure

Virtual temperature vs. actual temperature

The virtual temperature exceeds the actual temperature by only a few degrees. It is not always greater.

The values of geometric height (z) and geopotential height (Z)

The values of z and Z are almost the same in the lower atmosphere where g is close to g₀

Adiabatic process

dq=0

Atmospheric processes are often close to adiabatic

True

Saturation vapor pressure

The water vapor pressure in the air when saturation occurs. It is only related to air temperature

Is virtual temperature the actual temperature?

It is a fictitious temperature

Mixing Ratio

w is typically a few grams per kilogram

Thermal energy

Always flows spontaneously from regions of higher temperature to regions of lower temperature.

Entropy

An expression of disorder or randomness

Molecular mixing

Important within a centimeter of the Earth’s surface

Forms of the Ideal Gas Law

PV=mRT

P = pRT

Pa= RT

Charles Law 1

For a fixed mass of gas at constant pressure, the volume of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature

Hydrostatic balance is mathematically expressed as

p (z) = integral 0 to the power of infinity pgdz

The geopotential can be mathematically expressed as

phi (z) = integral 0 to the power z gdz

The potential temperature can be expressed as

theta = T(p⁰/p)^R/cp = T(p⁰/p)^0.286

Mixing ration (w) is defined as

w = m_v/m_d

When the condensation rate from air to water (ice) is equal to the evaporation rate from water (ice) to air.

Condensation

As the temperature increases, the saturation vapor pressure

increases

The level to which an unsaturated (but moist) air parcel can be lifted adiabatically before it becomes saturated with respect to a plane surface of pure water

LCL

Latent Heat of melting

The heat that is absorbed under certain conditions it may produce a change in phase rather than a change in temperature

According to the relationship between potential temperature and stability, what could be an unstable atmosphere

Gamma(d) - Gamma < 0

Generally, conditional instability layer presents what

a layer in which Gamma(s) < Gamma < Gamma(d)

What are the forms of the first law of thermodynamics

dq = du + dw

dq = cpdT - adp

dq = c_vdT + pd

Which of the following is an expression of enthalpy

h = u + pa

dh = cpdT

h = cpT

The value of R_d:C_v:C_p is close to

2:5:7

Which of the following is a form of dry static energy

h + phi

If the latent heat released immediately passes through an air parcel to an environment, the process is called

pseudoadiabatic

If a parcel of air is saturated, what is the unstable layer

gamma(s) - gamma < 0

If the temperature of a fixed mass of gas is held constant, the volume of the gas is _________ to its pressure

inversely proportional

The theory of thermodynamics has been applied in __________, biology, and economics

physics, chemistry, earth sciences

Mathematical format of geopotential height is

Z = phi(2) /g₀ = integral ₀ ^zgdz/g₀

Isotherm: line that connects all the points that have the same ______________

temperature

Dry adiabatic lapse rate: Gamma(d) =

5/9 dF (F/km)

Potential temperature is a conserved quantity for an air parcel that moves under _________ condition

adiabatic

If there is no condensation nor evaporation takes place, ___________ of an air parcel is constant

mixing ratio

Saturation mixing ration is a function of ____ and ______________

temperature; pressure

If there is no _______ or ____________, the mixing ration is a conserved quantity

condensation; evaporationEn

Enthalpy is the form of ______ heat

sensible

According to the second law of thermodynamics, the ________ of an isolated system always increases or remains constant

entropy

The mixing process is due not to molecular motions, but to ___________ of various sizes

eddies

At skew T-lnP diagram the LCL is located at the intersection of ___________ line passing through the temperature T and pressure p of an air parcel, and ___________________ line….

potential temperature; saturation mixing ratio

Virtual Temperature

The temperature that dry air would need to attain in order to have the same density as the moist air at the same pressure

What is the hydrostatic balance of the atmosphere

If the net upward for (buoyancy) is equal to the downward force (gravitational force)

Geopotential

the work that must be done against the Earth’s gravitational field to raise a mass of 1 kg from sea level to that point

What is adiabatic process

If a material undergoes a change in its physical state without any heat being added to it or withdrawn from it

First assumption of parcel air

Thermal insulated from its environment so that its temperature changes adiabaticallySe

Second assumption of parcel air

Always remaining at exactly the same pressure as the environmental air at the same level, which is assumed to be in hydrostatic equilibrium

Third assumption of parcel air

Moving slowly enough that the macroscopic kinetic energy of the air parcel is a negligible fraction o fits total energy

Potential temperature θ

the temperature that the parcel of air would have if it were expanded or compressed adiabatically from its existing pressure and temperature to a standard pressure p₀