Student Exploration: Coastal Winds and Clouds
Vocabulary: condensation, convection, convection current, land breeze, sea breeze
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
A hot-air balloon contai
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Student Exploration: Coastal Winds and Clouds
Vocabulary: condensation, convection, convection current, land breeze, sea breeze
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
A hot-air balloon contains a propane burner that directs hot air into the
interior of the balloon. You can see the flames in the photo at left.
1. What happens when the air inside the balloon is heated?
2. What might happen if the burner was turned off?
Gizmo Warm-up
Have you ever taken a walk along an ocean beach and
noticed a refreshing breeze blowing in from the water?
The cause of this breeze, called a sea breeze, is related to
the reason that a hot-air balloon is able to fly high in the
sky. Throughout this activity, screencast videos and
screenshot images of the Coastal Winds and Clouds
Gizmo will allow you to explore how daily temperature
variations are related to sea breezes and other weather
phenomena.
1. Click Play ( ), and watch the Gizmo for 24 simulated hours, focusing on the sailboat. Click
Pause ( ) when the sailboat starts moving towards the shore. This represents the start of
the sea breeze. What time is it?
2. Click Play, and then click Pause when the sailboat starts moving out to sea again. This
represents the start of the land breeze. What time is it now?
3. Click Play, and now observe the clouds for a day. What do you notice?
The air expands, filling the balloon
The air inside the balloon would cool, causing the balloon to deflate.
10-10:30
1:30
The winds start out at sea and move towards land, then moves back out towards the sea
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