Module 4

• The earth's atmosphere is composed of different layers where significant processes occur such as the weather systems
• The different weather phenomena that we experience on the planet are the result of the interaction of factors and processes such as geography, location, and the sun's radiation
• Land and sea breezes

  Atmospheric phenomena
• Monsoons


  Atmospheric phenomena
• Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

  Atmospheric phenomena
• Warm air rises in the atmosphere
• Differences in temperature and pressure cause wind or movement of air in the atmosphere
• Unequal heating of the earth's atmosphere causes differences in air pressure
• Water is the best absorber of heat compared to oil, juice, and rock
• Cool air is denser than warm air and it sinks, while warm air is less dense and rises
• Heated air particles expand and rise in the atmosphere
• Cool dense air has high air pressure and flows underneath the warm less dense air
• Cold air is denser and has more pressure compared to warm air
• Activity 1: Comparing the heating of sand and water

  1. Set up containers with sand and water

  2. Monitor temperature changes over time

  3. Observe which heats up faster and cools down faster
• Activity 2: Rising paper bag


  1. Attach paper bags to a meter stick

  2. Place a lit candle under one paper bag

  3. Observe what happens to the paper bag
• Activity 3: Rising warm air inside a box

  1. Make holes in a box and insert a cardboard tube

  2. Place a lit candle inside the box

  3. Observe the movement of smoke from a mosquito coil
• Packing/scotch tape activity


  1. Make two holes in box, one on top and one on end

  2. Place cardboard tube/pipe and tape on top hole

  3. Make window on side, cover with clear cellophane and tape to make airtight

  4. Open window, place lighted candle below top hole

  5. Light mosquito coil and place on side hole
• Specific heat capacity


  Amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius
• Water warms and cools down slowly because it has high specific heat capacity
• Sand warms and cools down faster because it has low specific heat capacity
• Heated or warm air rises or tends to move upward
• Density


  How tightly packed the molecules are in an object
• When air is heated, its molecules gain enough energy to move around faster and spread out, making it less dense than the surrounding air molecules
• Warm air rises above the cold and denser air below it
• Rising warm air creates a low pressure inside the box which pulls in cool air from the outside to replace the rising air
• Convection


  Heat transfer by the movement of heated fluid like air
• Activity 4: Warm air VS. Surrounding air

  1. Study and analyze diagram

  2. Draw arrows to show direction of warm and surrounding air

  3. Answer guide questions
• The warm air rises when it is heated
• The movement of surrounding air is affected by the rising warm air
• The air expands when it is heated
• The warm air is less dense than cold air
• The direction of air is from an area of low pressure to high pressure
• Heating and cooling rates of land mass and body of water

  • I. Land heats up and cools down faster than water

  II. Water heats up and cools down slower than the land

  III. Land and water heats up and cools down at the same time

  IV. Water heats up and cools down faster compared to the land
• Which has higher temperature after 10minutes?
• Which of the two get easily warm under the sun?
• Which has lower temperature after 25 minutes?
• What can you infer between the temperature of sand and water?
• If sand will represent the land and water will represent the body of water, what do you think is the result of this unequal temperature in our environment?
• Based on the two pictures, what are the directions of air movement?
• Why is there a difference between the movement of air during daytime and nighttime?