Deck 17: Moisture, clouds, and Precipitation

Question 1

The latent heat of melting is 80 calories for 1 gram of ice.If 1 gram of ice absorbs 60 calories what do I get?

A)1 gram of ice
B)1 gram of water at a temperature of 20°C
C)1 gram of water at a temperature of -20°C
D)a mixture of ice and water at a temperature of 20°C
E)a mixture of ice and water at a temperature of 0°C

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Water is unique because ________.

A)it is light enough to escape the earth's gravity but it has not done so
B)it exists in three different states at normal conditions in the earth's atmosphere
C)its molecules are in motion even when it is solid
D)it forms from a wide range of chemical processes
E)it contracts when it becomes a gas

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is the most useful measure of water vapor in the air?

A)dew point
B)mixing ratio
C)temperature
D)relative humidity
E)air pressure

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is the relative humidity for the above conditions at 25°C?

A)30%
B)100%
C)15%
D)70%

Question 5

For the given conditions,what would happen to the relative humidity value if the temperature increased from 25°C?

A)It would increase.
B)It would decrease.
C)It would remain the same.
D)It depends on the dew point temperature.

Question 6

What would happen if the temperature were cooled to 15°C?

A)decrease in relative humidity and evaporation of 4 grams of water
B)increase in relative humidity and evaporation of 4 grams of water
C)decrease in relative humidity and condensation of 4 grams of water
D)increase in relative humidity and condensation of 4 grams of water

Question 7

The process by which water vapor changes directly to a solid is called ________.

A)evaporation
B)deposition
C)condensation
D)melting

Question 8

The process of converting a liquid to vapor is termed ________.

A)evaporation
B)sublimation
C)condensation
D)melting

Question 9

What is the dew point for the conditions listed above?

A)25°C
B)20°C
C)15°C
D)colder than 15°C

Question 10

If you heat a jar with water in it,the amount of water vapor that will go into the air in order to reach saturation will ________.

A)lower the temperature of the water
B)raise the temperature of the water
C)increase in amount
D)decrease in amount
E)Everything will stay the same.

Question 11

If 2 grams of water absorbs 20 calories of heat,the resulting water temperature change is ________.

A)+10°C
B)+20°C
C)-10°C
D)-20°C
E)0°C

Question 12

The mixing ratio = mass of water vapor (grams)/ mass of dry air (kilograms).So if you have 10 grams of water vapor in 100 kilograms of dry air,what is the mixing ratio?

A)10 g/kg
B)100 g/kg
C)0)1 g/kg
D)0)01 g/kg
E)1 g/kg

Question 13

What is the difference between a gas and a liquid?

A)A gas is composed of individual atoms that have no bonds,while a liquid is made up of molecules with bonds between atoms.
B)A liquid is composed of individual atoms that have no bonds,while a gas is made up of molecules with bonds between atoms.
C)A liquid has a fixed volume but a gas does not.
D)A gas has a fixed volume but a liquid does not.
E)A liquid is "wet," meaning it will attach to things,while a gas does not do this.

Question 14

Relative humidity is a measure of ________.

A)how much water vapor is in the air
B)the ratio of water vapor in air to the amount of air
C)the amount of water vapor in the air compared to some standard amount of water vapor
D)the ratio of the water vapor in the air to the amount of water vapor that it would take to saturate the air
E)none of the above

Question 15

The latent heat of vaporization has the effect of cooling a liquid because ________.

A)a solid absorbs heat from the atmosphere when it becomes vapor
B)when something becomes a gas it releases heat,and the liquid gets cooler as a result
C)the gas molecules that form and leave the liquid are the higher temperature molecules in the liquid,so the temperature of the liquid is reduced
D)the liquid that forms the gas molecules absorbs and stores heat until all of the liquid becomes a gas
E)none of the above

Question 16

Which of the following does not happen when the humidity exceeds 100%?

A)It rains
B)It snows
C)It gets warmer
D)Clouds form
E)It hails

Question 17

The latent heat of melting is 80 calories for 1 gram of ice.If 1 gram of ice absorbs 120 calories,what do I get?

A)1 gram of water at a temperature of 120°C
B)1 gram of water at a temperature of 20°C
C)1 gram of water at a temperature of 40°C
D)a mixture of water and steam at a temperature of 120°C
E)a mixture of ice and water at a temperature of 0°C

Question 18

The dew point is the temperature at which ________.

A)water in the liquid state changes to vapor
B)hailstones are formed
C)water vapor condenses to a liquid
D)cumulus clouds change to cumulonimbus clouds

Question 19

When water vapor condenses to form clouds,________.

A)the air gets colder
B)the air gets warmer
C)the air temperature stays the same
D)the air temperature can change in either direction depending on other conditions

Question 20

The term ________ is used to describe the conversion of a solid directly to a gas,without passing through the liquid state.

A)evaporation
B)sublimation
C)condensation
D)melting

Question 21

Which of the following would not be associated with stable atmospheric conditions?

A)widespread fog
B)temperature inversion
C)dreary overcast with light drizzle
D)afternoon thunder showers

Question 22

Deserts such as the Great Basin,Gobi,and Takla Makan are examples of ________.

A)chinook deserts
B)subtropical deserts
C)rainshadow deserts
D)monsoon deserts

Question 23

Why does the Florida peninsula experiences the greatest frequency of midafternoon thunderstorms of any place in the United States?

A)It is further south and warmer than any other place in the United States.
B)It gets the water vapor from the trade winds crossing the Atlantic Ocean that fuels the thunderstorms.
C)It gets winds blowing from the oceans on both sides and they collide in the middle of Florida and rise to generate thunderstorms.
D)It is near the Bermuda Triangle.

Question 24

What happens to the change in temperature for unsaturated air that is rising when it reaches its saturation point?

A)It stops rising until it loses water vapor as precipitation.
B)It continues to rise and the temperature continues to change in the same way it did before saturation.
C)Latent heat of condensation will be released and will increase the rate of change of temperature for the rising air.
D)Latent heat of condensation will be released and will decrease the rate of change of temperature for the rising air.
E)The saturated air is too heavy to continue to rise,so it begins to sink and will continue to rise and fall until some equilibrium state is achieved.

Question 25

Adiabatic temperature changes occur even though heat is not added or subtracted from the atmosphere because ________.

A)molecules are either compressed or expanded which changes their motion
B)heat is added in some other form to change the temperature
C)the atmosphere moves into a different temperature strata
D)the ground is heated or cooled and it radiates energy into the adjacent air

Question 26

Stability prevails when the environmental lapse rate is ________.

A)less than the wet adiabatic rate
B)greater than the wet adiabatic rate and less than the dry adiabatic rate
C)greater than the dry adiabatic rate
D)greater than both the wet and dry adiabatic rates

Question 27

When a mass of cold air collides with a mass of warm air,what happens?

A)The cold air is warmed and the warm air is cooled by their mixing.
B)The cold air rises above the warm air.
C)The warm air rises above the cold air.
D)The boundary between the two air masses keeps them separate,and they do not interact in any way.

Question 28

Irregular heating of the air can produce thermals,which are ________.

A)pockets of cold air that rise
B)pockets of warm air that rise
C)pockets of cold air that sink
D)pockets of warm air that sink

Question 29

When the environmental lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic rate,________.

A)surface air will rise and fall
B)surface air will rise,form clouds,and fall
C)surface air cannot rise and will be trapped beneath colder air above
D)surface air will rise and continue to rise
E)surface air will not rise because this is the normal condition

Question 30

A parcel of air has a temperature of 0°C as it crosses a mountain range at 3000 meters.If it descends,what will its temperature be when it reaches sea level?

A)15°C
B)30°C
C)0°C
D)40°C

Question 31

At 25°C it takes 20 grams of water vapor to saturate 1 kilogram of dry air.If there are 5 grams of water vapor in 1 km of air at that temperature,what is the relative humidity?

A)10%
B)25%
C)50%
D)75%
E)100%

Question 32

When air is unstable,the environmental lapse rate is ________.

A)less than the wet adiabatic rate
B)zero
C)greater than the dry adiabatic rate
D)greater than both the wet and dry adiabatic rates

Question 33

The classification of air as stable or unstable is based on ________.

A)temperature
B)motion
C)humidity
D)state

Question 34

Given an environmental lapse rate of 5°C/1000 m and a dry adiabatic of 10°C,what would be the temperature of air at an elevation of 2000 m if the surface air temperature is 25°C?

A)25°C
B)20°C
C)15°C
D)10°C
E)5°C

Question 35

Orographic lifting is related to mountain barriers,and it is often associated with ________.

A)desert conditions on the leeward side of the mountains and excessive rainfall on the windward side
B)desert conditions on both sides of the mountains
C)excessive rainfall on both sides of the mountains
D)desert conditions on the windward side of the mountains and excessive rainfall on the leeward side.

Question 36

The Dry Adiabatic rate of change for unsaturated air is 10°C/1000 m.What does this mean?

A)Saturated air will not change.
B)Unsaturated air will get warmer or colder as it travels north or south.
C)Unsaturated air will get warmer or colder as it travels in any direction.
D)Unsaturated air will get warmer as it rises and colder as it sinks.
E)Unsaturated air will get warmer as it sinks and colder as it rises.

Question 37

The most common reason that dew forms is ________.

A)fast heating of the atmosphere when the sun first comes up in the morning
B)a rapid increase in water vapor in the air during the night
C)radiant cooling of the ground and adjacent air in the evening
D)plants give up water to the atmosphere when the temperature decreases

Question 38

Given an environmental lapse rate of 5°C/1000 m and a dry adiabatic of 10°C,what would be the temperature of unsaturated surface air after it rises to height of 2000 m if its surface temperature had been 25°C?

A)25°C
B)20°C
C)15°C
D)10°C
E)5°C

Question 39

If air at sea level with a temperature of 27°C is forced up a mountain slope and the air's dew point at the condensation level is 14°C,at what elevation will condensation begin?

A)2600 meters
B)1400 meters
C)2700 meters
D)1300 meters

Question 40

Which of the following is not a mechanism that will cause air to rise?

A)convective cooling
B)conduction cooling
C)orographic lifting
D)frontal Wedging
E)convergence

Question 41

High clouds that form delicate veil-like patches or extended wispy fibers are termed ________.

A)cumulus
B)stratus
C)cirrus
D)alto

Question 42

This fog results from adiabatic cooling.

A)advection
B)radiation
C)steam
D)upslope

Question 43

This fog forms in valleys at night.

A)advection fog
B)radiation fog
C)steam fog
D)precipitation fog

Question 44

This cloud sometimes produces "mare's tails."

A)cirrostratus
B)cumulonimbus
C)altostratus
D)cirrus

Question 45

Given an environmental lapse rate of 5°C/1000 m and a dry adiabatic of 10°C,what would what would happen if unsaturated air that had a temperature of 25°C at the surface were forced to rise 2000 m in the air ?

A)It would keep rising because it would be less dense than the surrounding air.
B)It would sink back to the surface because it was more dense than the surrounding air.
C)It would be warmer than the air around it so it would keep rising.
D)It would be colder than the air around it so it would sink.
E)It would have the same temperature and density as the surrounding air so it would stay at that height.

Question 46

Condensation nuclei,tiny particles of matter in the air,are important because ________.

A)they increase the density of air and thus its buoyancy
B)they will affect the environmental lapse rate
C)they provide a surface for water molecules to form on
D)they provide point sources of heat in the air

Question 47

The cloud form that is best described as sheets or layers that cover much or all of the sky is termed ________.

A)cumulus
B)stratus
C)cirrus
D)alto

Question 48

When warm moist air moves over a cold surface,________ fog may result.

A)advection
B)radiation
C)steam
D)upslope

Question 49

This cloud type is confined to the middle height range.

A)cirrostratus
B)cumulonimbus
C)altostratus
D)cirrus

Question 50

A dark gray cloud that blankets the sky and often generates precipitation is called ________.

A)cirrostratus
B)nimbostratus
C)altostratus
D)cirrus

Question 51

Clouds are classified on the basis of their ________.

A)thickness
B)height
C)shape or form
D)form and height
E)thickness and height

Question 52

A halo around the Sun or Moon indicates that this cloud type is present.

A)cirrostratus
B)cumulonimbus
C)altostratus
D)cirrus

Question 53

This term is used to describe clouds found in the middle height range.

A)cumulus
B)stratus
C)cirrus
D)alto

Question 54

Which of the following is not a type of fog caused by cooling of near surface air to below its dew point?

A)radiation fog
B)frontal fog
C)advection fog
D)upslope fog

Question 55

This term is used to describe clouds that produce precipitation.

A)cumulus
B)stratus
C)cirrus
D)nimbo

Question 56

Advective fogs form when warm,moist air moves over a cool surface so this type of fog is likely to be common in ________.

A)desert areas near water where air is heated during the day and then the ground cools quickly
B)cities where moisture is added to the air by watering systems
C)the western coast of the U.S.where the ocean water is usually cooler than the air
D)the eastern coast of the U.S.where the ocean water is usually warmer than the air

Question 57

Which of the following cloud types is most commonly associated with precipitation?

A)nimbostratus
B)cirrocumulus
C)cirrostratus
D)altostratus

Question 58

Thunder and lightning are associated with these clouds.

A)cirrostratus
B)cumulonimbus
C)altostratus
D)cirrus

Question 59

The cloud form that consists of globular cloud masses that take on a billowy or "cauliflowerlike" structure is called ________.

A)cumulus
B)stratus
C)cirrus
D)alto

Question 60

Which one of the fogs listed below may be categorized as an evaporation fog?

A)advection
B)radiation
C)steam
D)upslope

Question 61

Generally the water vapor content of the air over a tropical desert exceeds that of the air over the polar ice caps.

Question 62

A wintertime form of precipitation that consists of small ice particles is called ________.

A)rime
B)glaze
C)hail
D)sleet

Question 63

melting condensation sublimation evaporation

Question 64

Why are raindrops larger than 5 millimeters rare?

A)There is no process to form large raindrops in clouds.
B)Because they start as snowflakes,they must grow much larger than 5 millimeters while falling from a cloud without sublimating.
C)The frictional drag from falling is greater than the surface tension that holds the drops together when they get larger than 5 millimeters.
D)If they form larger than 5 millimeters then they will reach the ground as snow or hail instead of rain because they cannot melt completely.

Question 65

How does snow vary with temperature?

A)Warm snow is powdery and light,while cold snow is moist.
B)Cold snow is powdery and light,while warm snow is moist.
C)Snow has a uniform moisture content,but warm snow consists of larger crystals.
D)Snow has a uniform moisture content,but cold snow consists of larger crystals.
E)Warm snow is often called sleet because it is mixed with rain,but cold snow is more like hail with very large solid ice crystals.

Question 66

A super cooled liquid needs to ________ to turn into a solid.

A)sublimate
B)collide with an object
C)lose volume
D)increase volume
E)coalesce with other liquids

Question 67

Why does a rain gauge have a wide opening that funnels into a narrow tube?

A)Rain drops are too far apart to measure with a narrow opening.
B)The narrow tube takes less space.
C)The wide opening allows evaporation so it is a more accurate representation of what actually happens on the surface.
D)The narrow tube minimizes evaporation and magnifies the amount of rain captured by the wide opening.

Question 68

adiabatic cooling orographic lifting frontal wedging convergence

Question 69

cirrus cumulus nimbostratus altocumulus

Question 70

Cloud water droplets remain a liquid to temperatures as low as ________.

A)0°C
B)0°F
C)-10°C
D)-40°C
E)-25°C

Question 71

The Coalescence-Collision Process applies to ________ .

A)super cooled water vapor in a cloud
B)coexisting ice and water droplets in a cloud
C)warm clouds
D)cold clouds

Question 72

Because the mixing ratio is expressed in units of mass,it is affected by changes in pressure or temperature.

Question 73

advection fog steam fog radiation fog upslope fog

Question 74

Under what circumstances could the relative humidity exceed 100% without producing condensation in the air?

A)when the dew point is higher than the air temperature
B)when the air is perfectly dry
C)when the water vapor is composed of "heavy" water
D)when there are no condensation nuclei

Question 75

What is the important measure from weather radar that gives the intensity of the precipitation?

A)brightness of the echo
B)time of the echo
C)number of echoes from a single point
D)height of the echo
E)none of the above

Question 76

If the temperature drops and the amount of moisture in the air remains unchanged,the
relative humidity will increase.

Question 77

Glaze is not a common weather term in the U.S.,but it is probably associated with weather forecasts of ________.

A)thunderstorms
B)snowstorms
C)blizzards
D)ice storms
E)hail storms

Question 78

The Bergeron Process suggests that the coexistence of ice crystals and supercooled water droplets in a cloud is ideal for producing rain because ________.

A)the ice crystals have a stronger affinity for water vapor than does liquid water.
B)the ice crystals have a stronger affinity for liquid water than does water vapor
C)the liquid water has a stronger affinity for water vapor than do ice crystals.
D)the ice crystals provide nuclei needed to form more water droplets
E)the ice crystals provide the nuclei for snowflakes to form as precipitation

Question 79

If the temperature rises and the amount of moisture in the air remains unchanged,the
relative humidity will increase.

Question 80

Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the
relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.


-sleet snow hail freezing rain