Quiz #1 Study Guide
Questions on Quiz #1 will come
from topics on this study guide and material on the Practice Quiz Study Guide. Be
sure also to review the questions on the Practice Quiz and the recent Optional
Assignment.
Layers of the atmosphere (25 pts).
Troposphere: lowest layer in the atmosphere, decreasing
temperature with increasing altitude (why is the warmest air
found near the ground), contains most of the water vapor and
clouds, can be unstable (strong vertical air motions
possible). Tropopause. Stratosphere: there's an isothermal
layer and a temperature inversion layer (what causes air to
warm in the stratosphere), stable layer, contains the ozone
layer. Approximate altitudes of these layers. Units: meters,
kilometers, feet, miles.
Ideal Gas
Law (15 pts). This is a microscopic-scale
explanation of air pressure. Two equations:
P = N k T / V & P
= ρ
R T
N is the number of air molecules in a volume V, T is temperature
and ρ is
density. R and k are both constants (you can pretty much
ignore them). You should be able to determine
what will happen to the pressure in a rigid container or something
flexible like a balloon if you change the variables in the
equation above. What variables could you change together in
such a way that the pressure would stay constant? Charles'
Law. In the atmosphere why is warm air normally low density
air and cold air normally high density air?
Upward
and downward forces (15 pts). Vertical forces acting
on air parcels (the strength of one of the forces depends on the
air inside the parcel, the other on the air outside the parcel).
These two forces are usually in balance. What happens to the
balance when you warm or cool a parcel of air? Basically you
should be able to explain why a balloon of hot low density air
rises and a balloon of cold high density air sinks.
Archimedes principle (10 pts).
An object immersed in a fluid (this can be a liquid like water or
a gas like air) experiences an upward buoyant force that is equal
to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.
Basically objects that are less dense that the fluid around them
float, objects that are denser than the fluid surrounding them
sink. What causes the upward buoyant force (it's the same
upward force mentioned in the section above).
Sample questions ( from the online example quizzes )
Practice Quiz: #8, 16b Quiz #1: 4,
13, 14, 16, 17c
Final Exam: 22
Station model notation (15 pts).
How and where are the following weather variables plotted: cloud
cover, temperature, dew point temperature (typical values for
Tucson), wind direction and speed, common weather symbols (rain,
snow, fog, rain shower, thunderstorm, tropical storm and
hurricane), pressure. Units. After pressure is measured,
what important adjustment is made before the pressure is plotted
on the surface map? Why is that necessary? Average and typical
range of sea-level pressure values.
Sample
questions
Practice Quiz: 14,
19 Quiz #1: 6, 10, 11a&b
Final Exam: 52
Reviews
Tue., Sep. 24
|
2 -
3:15 pm
|
Saguaro
225
|
| Wed., Sep. 25 |
2 -
3:15 pm
|
Saguaro
225
|