Ch.23 science test

three phases of the atmosphere

water vapor, ice, water

changing form of water

evaporation

evaporation

fastest moving molecules escape from the liquid to form invisible water vapor

latent heat

heat energy that is absorbed or released by a substance during a phase change

sublimination

solid changes directly into a gas

humidity

water vapor in the atmosphere

dew point

condensation rate equals the evaporation rate

absolute humidity

mass of water vapor contained in a given volume of air

relative humidity

ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air to the amount needed to reach saturation

clouds

collection of small water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air

condensation nucleus

solid particle in the atmosphere that provides the surface on which water vapor condenses

adiabatic cooling

process by which the temperature of an air mass decreases as the air mass rises and expands

mixing

one body of moist air mixes with another body of moist air that has a different temperature

lifting

upward movement of air commonly results in the cooling of air and in cloud formation

adective cooling

temperature of an air mass decreases as the air mass moves over a cold surface

stratus clouds

low altitudes

cummulus clouds

puffy clouds

cirrus clouds

high altitudes

fog

result of condensation of water vapor in the air

precipitation

any form of water that falls to earth surface from the clouds

coalescence

formation of a large droplet by the combination of smaller droplets

supercooling

condition in which a substance is cooled below freezing point