Water in the Atmosphere Reteaching

• The process by which a liquid changes into a gas.

• Water evaporates from oceans, lakes, rivers, and more.

• Heat and wind cause evaporation.

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​Evaporation

• The process by which water vapor is transferred from plants to the atmosphere

• Tiny water droplets are released from the leaves of plants into the atmosphere

• This is another way water gets into the atmopshere.

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Transpiration

• The process by which a gas changes to a liquid

• When the temperature decreases, water vapor turns back into liquid water

• These tiny water droplets from clouds

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Condensation

• Any type of liquid or solid water that falls to Earth's surface

• Precipitation comes from clouds

• Rain is the most common form of precipitation

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​Precipitation

Rain, Sleet, Snow, Freezing Rain, Hail

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Liquid water falling through air above freezing

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​Rain

Small spheres of ice smaller that 5mm in diameter.

These melt and then refreeze on their way to the ground

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​Sleet

Snow forms in clouds as ice crystals.

It stays frozen all the way to the ground.

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Snow

This precipitation falls passes through warm air and turns into rain.

It doesn't freeze until it hits a surface and instantly turns into ice.

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Freezing Rain

Hail is larger pieces of ice 5mm or larger in diameter.

Hail only forms in thunderstorms.

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Hail

Clouds form in the atmosphere during the process of condensation. There are 6 types of clouds you are responsible for knowing: Cumulus, Cirrus, Stratus, Cumulonimbus, Nimbostratus, and Fog.

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In order for a cloud to form, three things need to be present:

• Water vapor

• Cooling air

• Dust or smoke

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Cloud Formation

• Low level clouds

• resembles balls of cotton

• associated with fair weather

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Cumulus Clouds

• Upper level clouds

• Wispy

• often called "horse tails"

• associated with fair weather

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Cirrus Clouds

• Low level clouds

• Cover the entire sky

• Block out the sun

• Light rain or snow​

Stratus Clouds

• Vertically developed clouds

• Thunderstorms with lightning, hail, and heavy rain

• anvil shape

Cumulonimbus Clouds

• Low level clouds

• Cover the sky

• Give long periods of steady rain or snow

Nimbostratus Clouds

The measure of the amount of water vapor in the air

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​Humidity

The percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount the air can hold.

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Relative Humidity

The temperature at which condensation begins

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​Dew Point