Question

measuring the weather
weather is the state of the atmosphere,
including its temperature, wind speed and direction,
air pressure, moisture, amount of rain or snow, and
other factors. the state of the atmosphere may be
hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy.
earths atmosphere is made up of different gases
and acts as a shield protecting life and it also helps
maintain a safe temperature on earth. gravity pulls
gases toward earths surface. the downward force of
the gases is called barometric pressure, also known as
air pressure. air pressure changes with the weather. low
barometric pressure usually indicates inclement weather.
high pressure usually indicates clear, sunny weather.
levels in between are considered steady. air pressure is
measured by a barometer. different factors affect air
pressure such as:

• altitude: air pressure decreases with higher altitude
• temperature: warmer air causes air pressure to go down while cooler air causes pressure to go up
• water vapor: dry air has higher air pressure while more water vapor causes lower air pressure.

the temperature is the degree of hotness or coldness in the air, sometimes called air
temperature. a thermometer is an instrument used to measure the temperature of the air or any
other substance.
humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air. humidity can be measured by
a hygrometer. air temperature can affect how much water vapor the air can hold. warmer air can
hold much more water vapor than cooler air.
wind is caused by air flowing from high - pressure areas to low - pressure areas. the difference in
the pressure is caused by uneven heating of the earths surface by the sun. some areas of the
earth receive more heat from the sun than other areas. this also results in various wind speeds. a
difference between high and low pressure will cause wind and the greater the difference the
stronger the wind. wind speed is measured using an anemometer. wind direction is measured by a
weathervane.

1. to answer this question, refer to the

\measuring the weather\ passage and
diagram.
which weather instrument measures air
pressure?
a anemometer
b. barometer
c. rain gauge
d. windsock

1. to answer this question, refer to the

\measuring the weather\ passage and
diagram.
mrs. smiths class monitors the weather
as part of an investigation. if students want to
know how the amount of water in the air
changes, which tool would they need and
which factor should they measure?
a. anemometer - air pressure
b. hygrometer - humidity
c. temperature - thermometer
d. barometer - wind speed

1. to answer this question, refer to the

\measuring the weather\ passage and
diagram.
tamara performs an investigation
during which she measures wind speed in her
neighborhood for 1 month. which instrument
from the weather station should tamara use in
her investigation?
a.
b.
c.
d.
the diagram shows instruments at a
weather station.
(anemometer, wind vane, rain
gauge, thermometer, hygrometer,
barometer diagram)

Explanation:

Question 54

From the passage, it says "Air pressure is measured by a barometer". The options: anemometer measures wind speed, rain gauge measures rainfall, windsock shows wind direction. So the correct instrument for air pressure is barometer.

The passage states "Humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air. Humidity can be measured by a hygrometer". Option a: anemometer measures wind speed, not air pressure. Option c: thermometer measures temperature, not water in air. Option d: barometer measures air pressure, not wind speed. So the correct tool - factor pair is hygrometer - humidity.

The passage says "Wind speed is measured using an anemometer". The diagram's option a (assuming the first diagram is anemometer) is the instrument for wind speed. So Tamara should use the anemometer (option a's instrument) to measure wind speed.

Answer:

b. barometer

Question 55