Air Pressure---Chapter 5

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter the student should be able to:

define air pressure

identify the advantages of an aneroid barometer over a mercury barometer

explain the significance of air pressure tendency for local weather forecasting

describe how air pressure and air density change with altitude

explain how and why meteorologists adjust air pressure readings to sea level

describe how air pressure and water vapor concentration influence the density of air and air pressure at the earth's surface

show how divergence and convergence of winds can cause chages in air pressure

discuss how surface air pressure varies with different types of air masses

show how the gas law applies to the atmosphere