Weather
5.E.1 Understand weather patterns and phenomena, making connections to the weather in a particular place and time.
5.P.2.1 Explain how the sun’s energy impacts the processes of the water cycle.
5.P.3.2 Explain how heating and cooling affect some materials and how this relates to their purpose and practical applications.
Vocabulary Words:
Weather: the daily conditions in the air that are constantly changing
Climate: the patterns of weather in a place over a period of time
Climatogram: a graph that shows a place's temperature and precipitation patterns over a period of time
Air pressure: the force of air pushing down on Earth
Convection Current: the cycle of moving air that happens when warm air rises and cold air sinks; they cause wind
Wind: moving air
Air Mass: large area of air with similar temperature and moisture
Front: the boundary between 2 air masses (we will focus on cold fronts and warm fronts)
Jet Stream: a band of strong wind that blows from west to east all across the U.S. and impacts weather patterns
Thermometer: tool used to measure temperature
Barometer: tool used to measure air pressure
Rain Gauge: tool used to measure amount of precipitation
Anemometer: tool used to measure wind speed
Wind Vane: tool used to measure wind direction
Evaporation: the process when liquid heats up and turns into water vapor (gas)
Condensation: the process when water vapor (gas) cools down and turns into liquid water
Precipitation: the process when rain or snow falls from the clouds to the ground
Transpiration: the process when plants release water and it evaporates into the atmosphere
Run-off: water that runs across the surface of the Earth and runs off into bodies of water
Groundwater: water that absorbs into the ground
Gulf Stream: a warm ocean current that travels across the Atlantic Ocean, affects the climate of the US's east coast and Europe
Convection: heat transfers through a liquid or gas
Conduction: heat transfers by direct contact (touching)
Radiation: heat transfers through waves, such as the Sun's rays
Weather vs Climate
Properties of Air
1) Air has weight.
2) Air takes up space.
3) Air exerts pressure.
Air Pressure & Convection Currents
Cold air contracts and is more dense, so it SINKS.
Warm air expands and is less dense, so it RISES.
Air Masses and Fronts
The Jet Stream greatly impacts the weather in NC. Can you figure out why?
weather tools
Water Cycle and clouds
Click on the diagram to learn more about the water cycle!
Ocean Currents
types of heat transfer
