Understanding Weather and Seasons Quiz

Study Notes

Weather

Weather refers to atmospheric conditions, including temperature, humidity, cloud cover, precipitation, wind, and air pressure. Understanding weather is crucial because it affects our everyday activities, such as agriculture, transportation, and even health.

Types of Weather

Rainy Day

Rainfall occurs when warm moisture-laden air rises into the atmosphere and cools down until tiny droplets of water form around dust particles. These droplets become heavier and fall to the ground, creating rain. It can also occur due to convectional clouds which are formed by heat rising from the earth's surface.

Snowing Day

Snow is made up of ice crystals that come together in clusters called snowflakes. When temperatures near freezing cause moist air to condense quickly, snow forms.

Sunny Day

Sunshine is caused by sunlight being scattered off a planetary body like Earth in all directions, usually by gas molecules and small particles. On clear days with no clouds present, direct sunlight reaches us without obstruction, resulting in sunny weather.

Windy Day

Wind is simply moving air caused by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the sun. Because the equator receives more sunlight than the poles, the air over the equator gets heated faster, causing it to rise upward into cooler air above it. As this hot air moves northward toward the North Pole, it causes winds to blow southward along the surface.

Seasons

The changing position of Earth relative to the sun throughout the year creates different climates and seasons. Here's how each season works:

Spring

During spring, the tilt of Earth's axis towards the sun creates longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures. This shift marks the end of winter and the beginning of summer.

Summer

Summer happens when the tilt of Earth's axis points its southern half directly towards the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, this causes longer days and shorter nights, while the Southern Hemisphere experiences shorter days and longer nights.

Autumn

Autumn begins when Earth's tilted axis starts to point away from the sun, reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the respective hemispheres. During autumn, the length of both day and night remains approximately equal.

Winter

In winter, Earth's tilted axis points farthest away from the sun. This reduces the amount of sunlight received by both hemispheres, leading to cold temperatures.

Description

Test your knowledge about different types of weather such as rainy, snowy, sunny, and windy days, as well as the science behind the changing seasons. Learn how Earth's tilt and position relative to the sun affect climates and create distinct seasonal patterns.