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Cause and Effect — From Pressure to Cyclones
How It All Connects
Pressure = force per unit area (liquids and air both exert it)
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Pressure differences
Air moves from high to low pressure, making winds blow
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Rising warm air
Forms clouds and rain; strong winds with rain make storms
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Charge separation gives lightning; over warm oceans, storms become cyclones
Mind Map
Pressure, Winds, Storms & Cyclones
Chapter 6
6.1
Pressure
Force per unit area; pascal; liquids press in all directions
6.2
Air pressure
Atmospheric pressure; sucker; we aren't crushed
6.3
Formation of wind
Air high to low pressure; sea and land breeze
6.4
Fast winds
High-speed wind lowers pressure; roofs blow off
6.5
Storms & lightning
Charge separation; lightning; thunder; conductor
6.6
Cyclone
Spinning ocean storm; calm eye; IMD alerts
Key Terms and Definitions
- Pressure
- The force acting per unit area (Pressure = Force ÷ Area).
- Pascal (Pa)
- The SI unit of pressure, equal to one newton per metre squared.
- Atmosphere
- The envelope of air surrounding the Earth.
- Atmospheric pressure
- The pressure exerted by the air around us.
- Wind
- Air moving from a region of high pressure to a region of low pressure.
- Sea breeze
- The daytime wind blowing from the sea to the land.
- Land breeze
- The night-time wind blowing from the land to the sea.
- Storm
- Strong winds accompanied by rain.
- Lightning
- A bright flash from a sudden flow of charges when air's insulation breaks down.
- Thunder
- The loud sound made when lightning heats and rapidly expands the air.
- Thunderstorm
- A storm accompanied by lightning and thunder.
- Lightning conductor
- A metal rod that safely carries lightning charges into the ground.
- Cyclone
- A large spinning system of clouds, winds and rain over warm oceans, around a very low-pressure centre.
- Eye of the cyclone
- The calm, lowest-pressure region at the centre of a cyclone.
