Physical Science Module 8

An updraft refers to a current of rising air. It is commonly observed in weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, where warm air rises rapidly. Updrafts play a crucial role in the formation of severe weather conditions, as they can lead to the development of strong thunderstorm cells and the potential for severe weather events like tornadoes.

An insulator is a substance that does not conduct electricity very well. It has high resistance to the flow of electric current, preventing the movement of electrons. This property makes insulators useful in electrical systems to prevent the unwanted flow of electricity and protect against electric shocks. Examples of insulators include rubber, plastic, and wood.

Thunderstorms are composed of multiple cells, and each cell has the potential to generate heavy rainfall for a duration of up to 30 minutes. This heavy rain can result in a continuous downpour that lasts for several hours. Therefore, the statement is true.

The calmest part of a hurricane is the eye. The eye is a region of low pressure at the center of the storm, surrounded by the eye wall. In the eye, the winds are light and the sky is often clear. This is because the air is sinking and there is no cloud cover. It is important to note that even though the eye is calm, the surrounding eye wall contains the strongest winds and most intense precipitation.

The Bergeron Process best describes the process causing precipitation from the given cloud. The Bergeron Process occurs in clouds that have both ice crystals and supercooled water droplets. In this process, the ice crystals act as nuclei for the supercooled water droplets to freeze onto, forming ice particles. These ice particles then grow through the process of deposition, where water vapor directly changes into ice on the particles. Eventually, these ice particles become heavy enough to fall as snow in colder temperatures. Therefore, the Bergeron Process is responsible for the snow precipitation on the mountain.

The temperature at which water vapor condenses out of the air onto ground-level surfaces is called the dew point. This occurs when the air becomes saturated with moisture and cannot hold any more water vapor, causing it to condense into liquid droplets. The dew point is an important factor in weather forecasting as it indicates the likelihood of fog, dew, or frost formation.

In a lightning bolt, the stepped leader occurs first. It is an initial discharge of electrons from the cloud towards the ground. This stepped leader creates a path of ionized air, which is then followed by the return stroke. The return stroke is the bright, visible flash of lightning that travels back up the ionized path created by the stepped leader.

Hail is formed when there are strong updrafts in a thunderstorm that carry raindrops upward into extremely cold areas of the storm where they freeze and grow larger. Without an updraft, the raindrops would not be lifted high enough into the storm to freeze and form hail. Therefore, hail cannot form during the dissipation stage of a thunderstorm when the updrafts weaken and the storm begins to weaken and break apart.

Sheet lightning refers to cloud-to-cloud lightning, which occurs within a cloud and does not directly strike the ground or objects on the ground. Therefore, it is not possible for sheet lightning to strike a person.

A tropical storm is differentiated from a tropical disturbance based on wind speed. A tropical disturbance is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined circulation, but its wind speeds are below 39 miles per hour. Once the wind speeds reach or exceed 39 miles per hour, it is classified as a tropical storm. Therefore, wind speed is the key factor that distinguishes between these two weather phenomena.

When lightning occurs, it generates an intense amount of heat. This heat causes the air surrounding the lightning bolt to rapidly expand, creating a shock wave. As the shock wave travels through the air, it creates vibrations in the form of sound waves, which we perceive as thunder. Therefore, the correct answer is "Heating of the air through which it passes."

Nimbostratus clouds are low-level clouds that are typically thick and extend over a large area. These clouds are associated with steady, continuous precipitation, usually in the form of rain or drizzle. Unlike cumulonimbus clouds, which are tall and can produce lightning, nimbostratus clouds are not tall enough to generate the strong updrafts necessary for lightning formation. Therefore, lightning is not commonly observed in nimbostratus clouds.

New York might have been experiencing thundershowers at the time this map was drawn because thunderstorms are common in the summer months in the northeastern United States, and New York is located in the northeastern region. Additionally, the map does not provide any information about weather patterns or systems, so it is purely speculative based on regional climate patterns.

The dew point is the temperature at which air becomes saturated and condensation occurs. Pressure and humidity are the two factors that influence the dew point. As the pressure increases, the dew point also increases. This is because higher pressure allows the air to hold more moisture before reaching saturation. Similarly, as humidity increases, the dew point also increases. This is because higher humidity means there is more moisture in the air, and it becomes easier for condensation to occur.

The answer is "Yes, it has touched the ground" because the question states that the tornado is in its organization stage. During this stage, the tornado has already formed and descended from the cloud to the ground, making contact with the surface. Therefore, it can be inferred that the tornado has touched the ground.

The correct answer is higher. This can be determined by looking at the weather map and comparing the atmospheric pressure readings for both Chicago, IL and New York, NY. If the atmospheric pressure in Chicago is higher than that in New York, it means that the air is more dense and there is more pressure pushing down on the area.

The thunderstorm cell is in the Dissipation Stage because it is raining and there is no updraft. In this stage, the storm is weakening and starting to dissipate. The updraft, which is the upward movement of air, is essential for the formation and sustenance of a thunderstorm. Without it, the storm loses its strength and begins to dissipate, resulting in rainfall.

The question asks about the atmospheric pressure in Houston, TX compared to Atlanta, GA. The correct answer is "Equivalent to." This means that the atmospheric pressure in Houston, TX is the same as the atmospheric pressure in Atlanta, GA.

Houston should expect warmer weather because it is located in a region known for its warm climate. San Francisco is known for its cool and foggy weather due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Chicago experiences cold winters and mild summers. Miami has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year-round. Therefore, Houston is the city on the map that should expect warmer weather.