Understanding the Weather – Question & Answer Worksheet

Understanding the Weather – Question & Answer Worksheet

Question 1: Match the instrument with the weather element it measures.

✅ Correct Matching:

• (1) → (d)
• (2) → (c)
• (3) → (b)
• (4) → (e)
• (5) → (a)

Question 2:

Jyotsna is deciding what clothes to pack for her school trip to Mumbai in June. She looks at the weather forecast, which predicts 29°C and 84% humidity. What would be your advice to her?

✅ Answer:
Jyotsna should pack light, breathable, and loose cotton clothes to stay cool and comfortable. Since the temperature is warm (29°C) and humidity is high (84%), she may sweat more, so she should also carry a cap, water bottle, and deodorant or wipes to stay fresh.

# High humidity makes sweating more likely and evaporation slower, especially in coastal areas like Mumbai.

Question 3:

Imagine that a small group of students is setting up a rain gauge.
Here are some options for the site:

1. The school vegetable garden.
2. The terrace of the school building.
3. Open ground with elevated platform.
4. Compound wall of school.
5. Verandah of the school laboratory.

Discuss in your group and finalise the site. Write down the reasons for your decision.

Answer:
The best site to place the rain gauge is: 3. Open ground with elevated platform.

Reasons:

• It is in an open area, so no walls, trees, or buildings will obstruct the rain.
• The elevated platform ensures it remains stable and does not collect surface runoff.

The placement aligns with the PDF instruction to place the gauge in “an open area, away from objects that might obstruct rain” and on “a flat surface”.

Extra Questions
MCQ

Q1. What is the name of the atmospheric layer where almost all weather phenomena occur?

1. Stratosphere
   B. Exosphere
   C. Troposphere
   D. Thermosphere
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, which is the layer closest to the Earth’s surface.

Q2. Which of the following instruments is used to measure precipitation?

1. Hygrometer
   B. Barometer
   C. Rain gauge
   D. Anemometer
   Answer: C
   Explanation: A rain gauge collects and measures the amount of rainfall.

Q3. What does a hygrometer measure?

1. Temperature
   B. Atmospheric pressure
   C. Wind direction
   D. Humidity
   Answer: D
   Explanation: A hygrometer is used to measure the amount of water vapour (humidity) in the air.

Q4. What is the normal atmospheric pressure at sea level?

1. 1013 millibars
   B. 1000 millibars
   C. 1020 millibars
   D. 980 millibars
   Answer: A
   Explanation: The normal atmospheric pressure at the sea coast is around 1013 mb.

Q5. What happens to atmospheric pressure as one goes higher up into the mountains?

1. It increases
   B. It remains the same
   C. It decreases
   D. It becomes unstable
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude due to thinner air and lower oxygen levels.

Q6. Which instrument measures the direction and speed of wind?

1. Barometer
   B. Thermometer
   C. Wind vane and Anemometer
   D. Hygrometer and Rain gauge
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Wind vane shows direction; anemometer measures wind speed.

Q7. What does the term “relative humidity” mean?

1. Percentage of total rainfall
   B. Comparison of wind speed
   C. Amount of water vapour in the air compared to its maximum capacity
   D. Change in atmospheric pressure
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Relative humidity is the percentage of water vapour in the air relative to what it can hold at that temperature.

Q8. Which of the following is a traditional sign of predicting rain in rural India?

1. Bark of trees turning green
   B. Ants shifting their eggs to higher ground
   C. Increase in wind pressure
   D. Sudden heat rise
   Answer: B
   Explanation: Observing ants carrying eggs to higher ground is a traditional way of predicting rain.

Q9. Which department is responsible for weather forecasting in India?

1. Indian Space Research Organisation
   B. Indian Climate Bureau
   C. India Meteorological Department
   D. National Weather Control Board
   Answer: C
   Explanation: The India Meteorological Department (IMD), established in 1875, is responsible for weather forecasting.

Q10. What is the mean daily temperature if the maximum is 32°C and the minimum is 18°C?

1. 14°C
   B. 25°C
   C. 30°C
   D. 50°C
   Answer: B
   Explanation: Mean daily temperature = (Max + Min) ÷ 2 = (32 + 18) ÷ 2 = 25°C.

One Word Questions:

1. What is the name of the automated system that records weather data without human intervention?
   Answer: AWS (Automated Weather Station)
2. Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?
   Answer: Stratosphere
3. What is the unit used to measure atmospheric pressure?
   Answer: Millibar
4. What is the term for a low-pressure weather system that can develop into a cyclone?
   Answer: Depression
5. What is the method of studying and predicting weather scientifically called?
   Answer: Meteorology

Short Answer Questions:

1. Why do people sometimes feel breathless or dizzy at high altitudes?
   Answer:
   At high altitudes, the atmospheric pressure is lower, which means there is less oxygen in the air. As a result, less oxygen reaches the lungs and blood, making the body work harder, causing breathlessness, dizziness, or fatigue.

1. What is the role of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in disaster preparedness?
   Answer:
   IMD collects weather data and issues warnings about extreme weather events. Accurate predictions help governments prepare for disasters like cyclones, storms, and floods, enabling early action such as evacuation and resource mobilization.

1. What kind of weather is associated with a ‘loo’ in North India?
   Answer:
   A ‘loo’ refers to strong, hot, and dusty winds that blow in North India during the summer months. It is associated with high temperature and dry conditions.

1. How does high humidity affect the drying of clothes or human sweating?
   Answer:
   In high humidity, the air already contains a lot of water vapour, so evaporation slows down. This causes wet clothes to dry more slowly and increases human sweating without much cooling.

1. Why do museums monitor humidity levels carefully?
   Answer:
   Museums monitor humidity to maintain a dry and controlled environment, which helps preserve artefacts, artworks, and documents that could be damaged by moisture.

Long Type Questions

Q1. Describe the five main elements of weather.

Answer:
The five main elements of weather are:

1. Temperature – Indicates how hot or cold the atmosphere is.
2. Precipitation – Includes rain, snow, hail, and sleet falling from the sky.
3. Atmospheric Pressure – The weight of the air above a given area.
4. Wind – The movement of air, described by speed and direction.
5. Humidity – The amount of water vapour present in the air.

Q2. How did people in earlier times predict weather using nature? Give examples.

Answer:
People used signs from nature to forecast weather:

1. Ants shifting eggs to higher ground indicated heavy rain.
2. Frogs croaking loudly was seen as a sign of upcoming rain.
3. Pine cones closing indicated high humidity in the air.
4. Birds flying low suggested a change in atmospheric pressure.
5. These methods were passed down through generations and are still used in some rural areas.

Q3. What is an Automated Weather Station (AWS), and where is it useful?

Answer:
AWS is a self-operating weather data recording system. Its key features:

1. Records weather data like temperature, humidity, wind, pressure, and precipitation.
2. Works without human help, using sensors.
3. Useful in remote and high-altitude areas, e.g., one was installed in a glacial lake in Sikkim (2023).
4. Helps in environmental monitoring, agriculture, navigation, and disaster alerts.

Q4. Why is measuring weather important in our daily lives? Give examples.

Answer:
Measuring weather helps us in many practical ways:

1. Planning activities (e.g., travel, school trips, farming).
2. Preparing for extreme events like floods, cyclones, or droughts.
3. Safety of people, e.g., alerting fishermen during storms.
4. Government action like evacuation or disaster response.
5. Industrial use, e.g., in food processing or museum preservation.

Q5. Explain with an example how temperature is measured and interpreted using a chart.

Answer:
Temperature is measured using thermometers. Example from PDF:

1. Thermometers may be digital or use liquid that expands with heat.
2. Maximum and minimum temperatures are recorded daily.
3. Mean daily temperature is calculated by:

​ Mean Daily Temperature = (Maximum Temperature + Minimum Temperature) ÷ 2

1. Example chart from Madhya Pradesh in the PDF helps calculate:
   • Max temp = 32°C
   • Min temp = 18°C
   • Mean = 25°C, Range = 14°C