Transcript Investigation 2, Parts 1 & 2 Notes

Solar Energy
Investigation 2 – Heating the Earth
Part 1 – Thermometer in Sun and Shade
Main Ideas/Content
• The Sun does not heat the Earth evenly
– Near the equator is always hot, while the poles are
always cold
• Temperature in sunlight is usually higher than
temperature in shade.
Vocabulary Words
– Thermometer – a tool to measure temperature
– Elapsed time – the difference between a starting time
and an ending time
Part 2 – Heating Earth Materials
Main Ideas/Content
• Water heats up more slowly and cools down
more slowly than solid, dry earth materials.
• Water is a good example of a heat sink.
• Earth’s atmosphere is made up of mostly
nitrogen, but also oxygen, carbon dioxide and
water vapor (water in its gas state).
• Gravity pulls gas molecules down to Earth.
• Air near the Earth’s surface is under a lot of
pressure.
Part 2 – Heating Earth Materials
Main Ideas/Content
• Warm air is less dense than cold air, so warm air rises
and cool air sinks.
• Air always moves from areas of high pressure (cooler)
to areas of low pressure (warmer) – this is called wind.
• Some warm ocean water will evaporate into the
atmosphere and become water vapor.
• Most water that falls on the land will flow back to the
ocean, continuing the water cycle.
• When a cold front forms, heavy rains and strong winds
can occur (thunderstorms).
• When a warm front forms, the cold air moves slowly
and rainy weather may last for days.
Part 2 – Heating Earth Materials
Vocabulary Words
– Earth Material – a nonliving substance that makes up or comes
from the earth.
– Energy transfer– the change of energy from one form to
another (such as light to heat), OR the movement of energy
from one object to another (such as heat moving from air to soil
or water).
– Heat sink – a material, such as water, that can absorb a large
amount of heat for its volume and release the energy slowly.
– Matter – anything that takes up space and has mass; it can be a
solid, liquid, or gas.
– Convection – the flow of warm air up and cool air down.
– Water cycle – water evaporating from the ocean, forming
clouds, falling on land, and flowing back to sea.
– Fronts – leading boundaries of warm and cold air moving
around Earth.