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Natural Sciences · Intermediate

Weather & the Atmosphere

Weather is physics in action. Find out why air thins exponentially with height, why rising air cools by almost 10 °C per kilometre, how the dew point predicts the height of clouds, how pressure differences and the Earth's spin drive the winds, and what powers thunderstorms and hurricanes.

7 lessons~35 min0/7 complete
1

The Air Above

Pressure and temperature with height.

  1. Thinning AirExponential pressure
  2. Why Mountains Are ColdRising air cools
2

Clouds & Wind

Water vapour and moving air.

  1. Dew Point & CloudsWhen vapour condenses
  2. What Makes the WindPressure, heat and spin
3

Extreme Weather

Thunderstorms and hurricanes.

  1. ThunderstormsRising air, hail and lightning
  2. HurricanesHeat engines over warm oceans
  3. How Far Ahead Can We Forecast?Chaos and the limits of prediction