Name: Date:
Student Exploration: Coastal Winds and Clouds
Vocabulary: condensation, convection, convection current, land breeze, sea breeze
Condensation: change from a gas to a liquid
Convection: Transfer of heat through movement of a fluid.
Convection Current: the circular motion of a fluid (such as air) inwhich hot
material rises while cold material sinks.
Land breeze: A wind that blows from the land to the sea.Sea
breeze: A wind that blows from the sea to the land.
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.) A hot-
air balloon contains a propane burner that directs hot air into theinterior of
the balloon. You can see the flames in the photo at left.
1. What happens when the air inside the balloon is heated? The balloonbegins
to float.
2. What might happen if the burner was turned off? The balloon would
probably cease to float.
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 thesky. The Coastal Winds and
Clouds Gizmo™ allows you to explore how daily temperature
variations are related to sea breezes and other weather
phenomena.
Click Play ( ), and watch the Gizmo for 24 simulated
hours, focusing on the sailboat.
1. Click Pause ( ) when the sailboat starts moving towards the shore. This represents thestart of
the sea breeze. What time is it? Around 10:00 AM.
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? 1:30 AM.
, 3. Click Play, and now observe the clouds for a day. What do you notice? The clouds movetowards
the land during the sea breeze, and then back out to sea, and then back towards the land once again.
Student Exploration: Coastal Winds and Clouds
Vocabulary: condensation, convection, convection current, land breeze, sea breeze
Condensation: change from a gas to a liquid
Convection: Transfer of heat through movement of a fluid.
Convection Current: the circular motion of a fluid (such as air) inwhich hot
material rises while cold material sinks.
Land breeze: A wind that blows from the land to the sea.Sea
breeze: A wind that blows from the sea to the land.
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.) A hot-
air balloon contains a propane burner that directs hot air into theinterior of
the balloon. You can see the flames in the photo at left.
1. What happens when the air inside the balloon is heated? The balloonbegins
to float.
2. What might happen if the burner was turned off? The balloon would
probably cease to float.
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 thesky. The Coastal Winds and
Clouds Gizmo™ allows you to explore how daily temperature
variations are related to sea breezes and other weather
phenomena.
Click Play ( ), and watch the Gizmo for 24 simulated
hours, focusing on the sailboat.
1. Click Pause ( ) when the sailboat starts moving towards the shore. This represents thestart of
the sea breeze. What time is it? Around 10:00 AM.
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? 1:30 AM.
, 3. Click Play, and now observe the clouds for a day. What do you notice? The clouds movetowards
the land during the sea breeze, and then back out to sea, and then back towards the land once again.
