Weather and Climate
1. What is the main difference between weather and climate?
• Answer: Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions at a specific place and time, while climate is the long-term average of weather patterns over at least 30 years.
2. Name three factors that influence climate.
• Answer: Latitude, altitude, ocean currents.
3. What instrument is used to measure air pressure?
• Answer: Barometer.
Weather Instruments
4. Which instrument measures humidity, and in what unit?
• Answer: Hygrometer, percentage (%).
5. What is the function of a Stevenson Screen?
• Answer: It protects weather instruments from direct sunlight, wind, and precipitation, ensuring accurate temperature and humidity readings.
Pollution and Global Warming
6. List two causes and two effects of air pollution.
• Answer:
Causes: Vehicle emissions, industrial smoke.
Effects: Respiratory diseases, acid rain.
7. What is the greenhouse effect?
• Answer: The process by which greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to global warming.
8. Name two greenhouse gases.
• Answer: Carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄).
Diseases and Human Impact
9. How does global warming contribute to the spread of diseases?
• Answer: Rising temperatures expand the range of disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes, increasing the spread of diseases such as malaria and dengue.
10. What is a vector-borne disease? Give an example.
• Answer: A disease transmitted by insects or animals. Example: Malaria (spread by mosquitoes.
Sure! Here are more practice questions with answers, categorized for better understanding:
Weather and Climate
1. What are the five main elements of weather?
• Answer: Temperature, humidity, pressure, wind, precipitation.
2. Why do coastal areas experience milder temperatures compared to inland areas?
• Answer: Water has a high specific heat, meaning it absorbs and releases heat more slowly, moderating temperature extremes.
3. How does altitude affect temperature?
• Answer: Higher altitudes have cooler temperatures because air pressure decreases, causing air to expand and cool.
4. What is the Coriolis effect, and how does it influence wind patterns?
• Answer: The Coriolis effect is the deflection of winds due to Earth’s rotation. It causes winds to curve right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere.
5. Why do deserts experience extreme temperature differences between day and night?
• Answer: Deserts lack significant cloud cover and moisture, so they heat up rapidly during the day and cool down quickly at night.
Weather Instruments
6. What instrument measures solar radiation?
• Answer: Pyranometer.
7. How does a rain gauge work?
• Answer: It collects and measures the amount of precipitation over a set period, usually in millimeters (mm) or inches.
8. What is the unit of measurement for wind speed?
• Answer: Meters per second (m/s) or kilometers per hour (km/h).
9. What does an anemometer measure, and how does it work?
• Answer: An anemometer measures wind speed by using rotating cups or blades that spin faster in stronger winds.
Factors Affecting Climate
10. How do ocean currents affect climate?
• Answer: Warm ocean currents increase temperatures in coastal areas, while cold currents cool them down.
11. What is the rain shadow effect?
• Answer: When moist air rises over a mountain, it cools and releases precipitation. The other side of the mountain remains dry as descending air warms and absorbs moisture.
12. Why do regions near the equator experience more rainfall?
• Answer: The equator receives intense solar radiation, causing high evaporation and convection, leading to frequent rainfall.
Pollution and Environmental Issues
13. What are the four main types of pollution?
• Answer: Air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, noise pollution.
14. How does deforestation contribute to global warming?
• Answer: Trees absorb carbon dioxide, and cutting them down reduces this absorption, increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
15. What is the carbon footprint?
• Answer: The total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by an individual, organization, or activity.
16. Give two effects of acid rain.
• Answer:
• Damages buildings and statues (especially those made of limestone or marble).
• Harms aquatic life by lowering the pH of water bodies.
17. What is sustainable development?
• Answer: Development that meets current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
Diseases and Human Impact
18. What is the difference between infectious and non-communicable diseases?
• Answer: Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses) and can spread between people, while non-communicable diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes) are not contagious and result from lifestyle factors or genetics.
19. How does urbanization contribute to the spread of diseases?
• Answer: High population density, poor sanitation, and pollution increase the risk of disease transmission.
20. What are two measures to control vector-borne diseases?
• Answer:
• Mosquito control programs (e.g., using insecticides, eliminating standing water).
• Vaccination and public health awareness.
21. Why is air pollution linked to respiratory diseases?
• Answer: Pollutants like particulate matter and carbon monoxide damage lung tissue, leading to conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
22. What role does climate change play in the spread of malaria?
• Answer: Warmer temperatures expand the habitat range of mosquitoes, increasing the spread of malaria to new regions