Weather: Definition, Elements, Factors & Sample Questions

Jasmine Grover logo

Jasmine Grover

Content Strategy Manager

Weather is the combination of daily atmospheric conditions at a location, including humidity, temperature, wind speed, and wind direction. The majority of weather occurs in the troposphere, the region of Earth's atmosphere closest to the surface, and it might be sunny, cloudy, chilly, or clear. It differs across the globe and changes over a period of minutes, hours, days, and weeks. Additionally, it fluctuates in response to longitude, latitude, and pressure variations. Severe weather conditions are defined as natural disasters like cyclones and tornadoes that result in damage to property or fatalities.

Key Terms: Weather, Climate, Water Vapour, Rainfall, Wind, Atmosphere, Temperature, Humidity

Definition of Weather 

[Click Here for Sample Questions]

Weather is defined as the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere at a place with respect to various elements like temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall, and others. Weather helps in maintaining the equilibrium in the atmosphere. We referred to these situations as the "weather" depending on the state of the atmosphere. It comes in a variety of forms, some of which are as follows:

  • Cold
  • Cloudy
  • Humid
  • Rainy
  • Sunny
  • Hot 
  • Windy
  • Stormy
  • Hurricanes
  • Cyclones
  • Tornadoes
  • Thunderstorm

Weather
Weather

Read More: Role of Atmosphere in Climate Control


Elements of Weather

[Click Here for Sample Questions]

Here are the nine primary elements, components, or portions of weather.

  • Wind velocity
  • Humidity
  • Temperature
  • Rainfall
  • Thunder
  • Snow 
  • Lightning
  • Cloud emergence
  • Sunshine
Also Read:

Factors Affecting Weather

[Click Here for Sample Questions]

Some of the important factors affecting weather are as follows:

  • The sun is responsible for all weather variations that take place. because the sun is a massive sphere of heated gases and has a very high temperature. Sun is the earth's only primary source of heat and light. It even serves as the main energy source, which has an impact on the weather.
  • Any location's weather is significantly influenced by the energy that the earth's surface, oceans, and atmosphere reflect and absorb.
  • The weather is also influenced by gasses like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour.

Instruments for Measuring Components of Weather

[Click Here for Sample Questions]

Here are some instruments that are used to measure various components of weather:

  • Anemometer: An anemometer is used to gauge the wind's velocity and direction. 
  • Thermometer: Thermometers are used to determine an area's temperature. Using a maximum-minimum thermometer, one may determine an area's highest and lowest temperatures (MMT). The mercury or alcohol liquid rises when heated by the air in the tube, which allows the tube to calculate the real temperature.
  • Hygrometer: The amount of moisture in the air is what is meant when an area is said to be humid, and a hygrometer is used to measure it.
  • Rain Gauge: The rainfall is measured using a rain gauge. Other names for the rain gauge include Omreometer and Puliometer. Millimeters or centimeters are used to express it.
  • Barometer: Used to monitor air pressure by meteorologists. When the barometer readings increase, it means the weather will be dry and sunny. When the barometer readings drop, rain and severe weather are forecasted.

Weather Instruments

Weather Instruments


Importance of Weather Recording

[Click Here for Sample Questions]

The process of anticipating weather patterns using the laws of physics is known as weather forecasting. The following list of factors illustrates why it is crucial to record the weather:

  • People use the weather data to help them decide on many aspects of their day and upcoming activities.
  • People utilize tools like thermometers and rain gauges nowadays so they can accurately measure the daily weather, notably the temperature, and make forecasts about it.
  • The ability to measure the weather has greatly improved.
  • Meteorologists are able to alert the public of impending poor weather that could have disastrous or dangerous repercussions.
  • The capacity to predict the weather can benefit individuals, organizations, farms, transportation systems, and warning/alerting systems.
  • It is crucial to monitor the weather over a long period of time in order to determine an area's climate. To keep the public informed of changes, weather measurements are continuously aired on radio and television throughout the day.

Read More: Effects of Climate Changes


Climate

[Click Here for Sample Questions]

Meteorologists record the weather every day, and these records are kept for a very long time. These records are used to determine the weather's pattern. The climate of a place is defined as its long-term average weather pattern.

Read More: Distinguish between Weather and Climate


Things to Remember

  • Weather refers to the temporary day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere at a particular location.
  • The weather of a place changes with respect to various elements such as humidity, temperature, wind speed, rainfall, etc.
  • Weather at a particular location can be cloudy, sunny, rainy, stormy, or clear. 
  • Weather helps to maintain the equilibrium in the atmosphere.
  • Sometimes, the weather conditions turn out to be quite extreme or intense, and such weather is termed severe weather. Some examples of such weather are tornadoes, cyclones, heavy rainfall, fog, and winter storms.
  • Climate, on the other hand, is the typical weather over a lengthy period of time in one location. 

Sample Questions

Ques. What do you understand by the term Weather? (3 Marks)

Ans. The weather of a location refers to the average conditions of the atmosphere there in relation to variables like humidity, temperature, wind speed, rainfall, etc. In other words, the daily day-to-day state of the atmosphere, including wind, moisture, and temperature, is known as the weather. Weather helps in maintaining the equilibrium level of the atmosphere.

Ques. What is meant by the atmosphere? (3 Marks)

Ans. All life on Earth is sheltered by the atmosphere, a layer of gases that regulates temperatures within a narrow range and deflects harmful solar rays. The atmosphere can be defined as the layers of gases surrounding a planet. The atmosphere of earth is composed of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and one percent other gases. There are various layers of the atmosphere namely troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere that have unique features such as temperature and pressure.

Ques. What is ozone layer depletion and how does it occur? (3 Marks)

Ans. Ozone layer depletion is the process of the destruction of the upper atmosphere's ozone layer. It is basically defined as the gradual thinning of the earth’s ozone layer present in the upper atmosphere. When exposed to intense ultraviolet radiation, certain chemical compounds release chlorine and bromine, which depletes ozone. Depletion of the ozone layer is ought to have harmful effects on human health, animals, the environment, and marine life.

Ques. How does the Earth’s atmosphere end? (3 Marks)

Ans. There is no specific location where the earth's atmosphere ends. The atmosphere becomes thinner as we ascend. The boundaries between the atmosphere and space are hazy. Within 11 kilometers of the surface of the Earth, 75% of the atmosphere is located.

Ques. How many layers of Earth’s atmosphere are there? (3 Marks)

Ans. The Earth's atmosphere is divided into five levels, as follows:

  • Exosphere
  • Thermosphere
  • Mesosphere
  • Stratosphere
  • Troposphere

All these levels of the earth’s atmosphere are defined by their unique temperature and pressure characteristics.

Ques. What distinguishes precipitation from rain? (3 Marks)

Ans. Tiny drops of liquid water in the form of rain. It absorbs water vapour from the atmosphere and condenses to form a solid that is heavy enough to fall. The majority of the freshwater on Earth is deposited by this important component of the water cycle. While precipitation refers to any and all liquid or solid water vapour particles that fall from the atmosphere. It is a byproduct of atmospheric water vapour condensation that drops by gravity from clouds. Rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel, drizzle, and hail are the most common types of precipitation. It happens when a region of the atmosphere becomes very moist with water vapour, causing the water to condense.

Ques. Which website offers the most accurate weather forecasts in India? (3 Marks)

Ans. The India Meteorological Department, also known as IMD, has the greatest website for reliable weather predictions in India. It is a government institution that falls under the parent ministry of Earth sciences, which was established by the Indian government in 2005 and has its main office in New Delhi. They give precise forecasts and are acknowledged internationally as India's official weather forecasters.

CBSE Class 9 Study Guides:

CBSE X Related Questions

1.

A milkman adds a very small amount of baking soda to fresh milk.
(a) Why does he shift the pH of the fresh milk from 6 to slightly alkaline?
(b) Why does this milk take a long time to set as curd?

      2.
      Explain the following in terms of gain or loss of oxygen with two examples each. 
      (a) Oxidation
      (b) Reduction

          3.
          Which of the statements about the reaction below are incorrect?
          \(\text{ 2PbO(s) + C(s) → 2Pb(s) + C}O_2\text{(g)}\)
          (a) Lead is getting reduced. 
          (b) Carbon dioxide is getting oxidized. 
          (c) Carbon is getting oxidized. 
          (d) Lead oxide is getting reduced.

            • (a) and (b)

            • (a) and (c)

            • (a), (b) and (c)
            • all

            4.

            How are fats digested in our bodies? Where does this process take place?

                5.
                What is the difference between the manner in which movement takes place in a sensitive plant and the movement in our legs?

                    6.
                    Light enters from air to glass having refractive index 1.50. What is the speed of light in the glass? The speed of light in vacuum is 3 × 108 m s−1.

                        Comments



                        No Comments To Show