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Atmosphere
Investigation 2
Investigation 2
Atmosphere
Phase 1 – Defined Understanding
Access Student Guide
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Access Teacher Guide
Student Guide with answers
Teacher PreLab
Prepare for the Experiment
Phase 2 – Dynamic Understanding
Phase 2 – Dynamic Understanding
► Investigation Two Summary – Lab Goals
In Investigation Two, you modeled the movement of air in high and low-pressure systems and learned how differences in pressure cause wind. During this Investigation, you:
1. Modeled how areas of low and high-pressure result from different movements of air.
2. Constructed an Isobar Map for a high and low-pressure system and modeled the differences of pressure from varying distances.
3. Constructed a model of a barometer and observed how changes in atmospheric pressure are measured using a barometer.
4. Calculated Pressure Gradient Force (PGF) using the following formula:
► Investigation Two Summary – Learning Goals
Through these experiments, you concluded that:
1. Air that moves from the upper levels of the atmosphere downward toward Earth creates an area of high pressure beneath the falling air. Air that rises or moves upward from the Earth or from lower levels of the atmosphere toward the upper atmosphere creates an area of low pressure beneath the rising air. Cold air sinking would increase the pressure in an area while warm air rising would decrease the pressure in an area.
2. When there are pressure differences in the atmosphere air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. This movement of air creates wind.
3. Changes in pressure are measured with a barometer. One type of barometer is the mercury barometer. As the pressure of an area increases the increased downward force of air pushes the mercury in a barometer up into the barometer. As the pressure of an area decreases, the level of mercury in a barometer falls because the downward force of air on the liquid in the barometer has decreased.
Launch Concept Slides/Annotations
Mathematics Concepts in This Investigation
- least to greatest
- comparing (non)measurable characteristics
- (in)direct relationships
- manipulating mathematical equations/formulas
- distance in cm
- calculate averages
- addition
- subtraction
- division
- data table
- calibrating a barometer
- reading barometer in mm Hg
- skip counting by 5 and 10
- decimals to the nearest tenth
- greater than/less than/equal to
- degrees of latitude