Air pressure. Relationships between pressure, density, and temperature (confined vs. unconfined gases). Measuring air pressure. Isobars. The pressure gradient force. Wind. Convection cell diagram. Out of the high, into the low. Local winds (sea/land breezes, mountain/valley breezes, Chinook/Santa Ana winds).
4. What is air pressure?
Pressure is the force a gas exerts on some specified area of
a container--it is the result of molecular collisions between
the gas and the container
5. Air pressure changes with altitude, from
place to place—and even in the same place,
changes over time
6. Air pressure changes with altitude, from
place to place—and even in the same place,
changes over time
7. Pressure, Density, and
Temperature
Pressure (P), density (D), and temperature
(T) are all interrelated
Pressure is the force of molecular collisions per
unit area (lbs/in2
)
Density is the weight of a material per unit volume
(g/m2
)
Temperature is a measure of molecular motion
Changes to one of these variables can cause
changes in the others
For example….
8. Changing Density Pt.I
• There are three ways to change
the density of a gas:
1.Change the size of the container
What happens to pressure?
What happens to temperature?
12. A little simplification:
For confined gases:
(if D↑ then P↑)
(if D↑ then T↑)
(if P↑ then T↑)
(if T↑ then P↑--but only if confined)
Note:
(changing T will NOT affect D, if confined)
13. Changing Density—Pt.III
3. Change its
temperature (if it is
uncontained)
- What will happen
to the density?
- How will pressure
be affected?
15. A little more simplification:
For unconfined gases (like in the
atmosphere):
(if T↑ then D↓)
(if D↓ then P↓)
(if D↓ then T↓)
16. Measuring
Atmospheric Pressure
In 1643 Evangelista Torricelli (a student
of Galileo) invented the first barometer…
Today, we use an aneroid barometer
17. Average Sea Level Air
Pressure
29.92 in. (inches of mercury)
14 lbs/in2
1013.2 mb (millibars of mercury)
101.32 kPa (kilopascals, where 1
kilopascal is equivalent to 10 millibars)
We will use millibars, as this is the most
commonly used unit of measurement
18. Isobars
Lines on a map that connect points of
equal barometric pressure are called
isobars
Isobars follow the same rules as other
iso- lines (don’t cross, form closed
shapes, etc.)
21. Wind
Wind—Air moving horizontally in
response to pressure differences
The process is called advection
22. Convection Cell Diagram
Draw the convection cell diagram and
label it, just like you see it on the board
Practice drawing a simplified version to
help you remember “out of the high,
into the low” on exam day
23. Air always moves from regions of
higher air pressure to regions of lower
air pressure
In other words:
“Out of the High, Into the Low!”
24. Local Winds
Convection Cells in Motion
Land and Sea Breezes
Mountain and Valley Winds
Katabatic Winds (a.k.a. Mistral)
Chinook Winds (a.k.a. Santa Anas,
Diablo Winds, Foehn winds, etc.)
25. Wind Direction
Wind direction is determined by where
the wind is coming from
For example, an east wind is one that is
coming from the east
A sea breeze is one that is coming from the
sea and moving toward the land