The Breath Of Life: Air
Chapter Name : Natural Resources |
Sub Topic Code : 103_09_14_02_02 |
Topic Name : The Breath Of Life: Air |
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Sub Topic Name : The Movement Of Air: Winds |
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Introduction
The movement of air takes place due to the heating of the atmosphere and formation of the water vapor.
Pre-Requisites:
Atmosphere and how it controls the climate.
Real Life Question:
Have you ever thought why air sometimes blows in the form of a gentle breeze, a strong wing or a terrible storm?
Key Words / FlashCards
| Key Words | Definitions (pref. in our own words) |
|---|---|
| Heating of air and atmosphere | Atmosphere can be heated from below by the radiation that is reflected back or re-radiated by the land or water bodies. |
| Heating of land and water | When air is heated by radiation from the heated land or water, it rises. But since land gets heated faster than water, the air over land would also be heated faster than the air over water bodies. |
| Coastal regions | During the day, the direction of the wind would be from the sea to the land. At night, both land and sea start to cool. Since water cools down slower than the land, the air above water would be warmer than the air above land. |
| Other factors influencing winds | Rotation of the earth and presence of mountain ranges in the path of the wind. |
Learning aids / Gadgets
| Gadgets | How it can be used |
|---|---|
| A beaker or wide mouthed glass bottle, candle and an incense stick | Light the candle inside the burner and hold a burned incense stick over the mouth of the beaker or bottle. See the direction of the smoke of the incense stick when it is held near the edge of the beaker and when it is held just above the flame of the candle. Notice the direction of flow. |
Real life uses :
Presence of mountain ranges such as Himalayas in India changes the flow of the wind which denotes mountain ranges play a role in direction of winds.
Places to visit :
Coastal areas etc.
Practical examples around us
| Examples | Explainations |
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What you learn in Theory:
Air currents are caused by the uneven heating of the air and winds are formed when movement of air is from one region to other.
What you learn in Practice:
How winds are formed by uneven heating of air on land and water.