WEATHER UNIT VOCABULARY

KEY TERMS TO KNOW Today we will begin our new unit of study on Weather. Please add the following words and definitions to your science notes. We will spend this first week introducing you to important words that will help you be successful in this unit. Please remember to review your science notes daily so that you are keeping up with the key concepts covered in class. This unit will be until the end of January so please keep your notebooks organized and up-to-date.

Air pressure – the pressing down of the air on the Earth’s surface.

Anemometer – the instrument that measures wind speed.

Atmosphere – a blanket of air surrounding the Earth.

Barometer – the instrument that measures air pressure.

Beaufort Scale – a scale that shows numbers for wind speed.

Cirrus clouds – thin, feathery high altitude clouds.

Climate – the average weather of an area for many years.

Compass – this tool allows us to determine which direction the wind is coming from.

Cold front (weather) – occurs when a cold air mass moves into an area occupied by warmer air.

Condensation – The change of a gas to a liquid when heat energy is lost. A step in the water cycle.

Cumulus clouds – puffy, white middle altitude clouds.

Evaporation – The change of a liquid to a gas. A step in the water cycle.

Fog – a cloud that forms close to the ground when the temperature of the air is colder than the temperature of the ground.

Forecast – is a scientifically derived prediction of the upcoming weather conditions for a given area at a given time.

Front – the place where two air masses meet.

Jet stream – a narrow band of high-speed winds found 7-9 miles above the Earth’s surface. These winds generally blow from west to east at speeds over 200 miles per hour.

Meteorologist – a scientist who studies weather.

Precipitation – Water that falls from clouds, usually as rain or snow, and returns to the Earth’s surface from the atmosphere. A step of the water cycle.

Rain – cloud droplets large enough to fall to the Earth’s surface.

Rain Gauge – is an instrument used to collect rain so that rainfall can be measured.

Relative humidity – the comparison of water vapor present in the air to the amount of water vapor air can hold.

Revolution (of the Earth) – the movement of the Earth orbiting the Sun that causes the seasons to change.

Sleet – frozen raindrops.

Snow – white flakes of ice formed by the freezing of water vapor in clouds.

Solar energy – a form of energy from the Sun.

Stratus clouds – flat layers of low altitude clouds.

Vacuum – space that contains no air, and therefore no air pressure is known as this.

Warm front (weather) – occurs when a warm air mass moves into an area occupied by colder air.

Water cycle – the process by which water leaves a body of water through evaporation, condenses into clouds in the atmosphere, falls back to the Earth’s surface as precipitation and returns to the ocean in rivers.

Weather – day to day changes in temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, wind speed, and wind direction.

Weather Station – is a place where weather data is recorded for display. We will make one of these next week! 

Wind – Moving air over the Earth’s surface caused by heating of the air by solar energy. The force of nature responsible for bringing the weather.