Atmospheric Heat Convection, The Sun & Wind Objectives: Can I recognize events caused by heat convection? How is the sun’s energy and wind connected?

Atmosphere: A mixture of gases that surrounds a planet or moon Majority of the sun’s energy is absorbed by the land and ocean when it enters the atmosphere.

Atmospheric Heat Convection: The method by which most thermal energy circulates in the atmosphere. 3

Diagram: Warm Air Rises Cold Air Sinks 4

Ocean Side

Density Warm air is less dense making warm air rise. Cold air is more dense making cold air sink.

Air Pressure The measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface. Scientists measure air pressure with a barometer.

Barometer

The Wind Moving air- caused by differences in air pressure when the atmosphere is warmed by the sun. The greater the pressure difference the faster the wind moves. 9

Reality Check Can I recognize events caused by heat convection? How is the sun’s energy and wind connected?

Warm air rises at the equator and sinks at the poles because more solar energy is received at the equator. The sun’s energy creates pressures differences in the Earth’s atmosphere. As high pressure areas are created around the poles, cold polar air (wind) will flow toward the equator causing the wind. H L

8. Types of Winds:

Heat transfer in our World!!! http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=159713

Reality Check: Can I recognize events caused by heat convection? How is the sun’s energy and wind connected?

Review Questions:

1. What happens to majority of the sun’s energy that reaches the Earth’s atmosphere? It is absorbed by the land and oceans It is reflected by the clouds and air It is absorbed by the ozone layer It is reflected by the Earth’s surface

2.Which best describes the wind? Essential the water cycle Moving air Static air near the ocean’s surface A difference in air temperature

3. Why does warm air rise and cold air sink? Because warm air is less dense than cold air. Because cold air is less dense than warm air Because warm air is denser than cold air Because warm air has less pressure than cold air

4. Convection is the method by which most _____energy circulates in the atmosphere. Thermal Nuclear Kinetic Potential

5. Air is warmer and less dense around the equator because the equator receives more _____. Air pressure Wind Solar energy Green house gas

6. When the atmosphere is warmed by the sun, changes in air pressure results in the ______. Wind Clouds Humidity Precipitation

7. What causes the air rising from the land to be warm? Heat from the sun Heat from Electricity Heat from a hot spring Heat from decomposition

8. The following happens the atmosphere: Solar Energy---Warm air rises----air cools in upper atmosphere and sinks---air currents This process can be described as Wind formation (through heat convection) Cloud formation

Heat Convection Lab: http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=16655