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9th grade Global wind belts and the jet stream worksheet

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Global wind belts and the jet stream

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. A globe with three loops in each hemisphere. A classmate says air rises at the equator and sinks at the poles in one big loop. Which reply fits NOAA, by Esme's reading?

    • No; Earth's rotation splits each hemisphere into three cells
    • Correct; rotation has no effect on how air moves around the globe
    • Correct; there is one cell per hemisphere
    • No; there are ten cells
  2. A wavy jet stream high above the surface. A student says the jet stream blows from east to west near the ground. Which reply fits NOAA, by Jun's reading?

    • Correct; it is a surface easterly
    • No; it blows north to south down at the ground
    • No; it blows west to east about 30,000 feet up
    • Correct; it is the trade wind
  3. Read this first

    Use this

    A wind arrow with a speed and a time beside it.

  4. A plane rides a 200 km/h jet-stream tailwind for 4 hours (example data). How much farther does it go than in still air, by Luz's math?

    • About 50 km
    • About 8,000 km
    • About 204 km
    • About 800 km
  5. NOAA: Earth's surface moves east at over 1,600 km/h at the equator. How far is that in 24 hours, by Milo's math?

    • More than 38,400 km, about once around Earth
    • About 66 km
    • About 1,600 km
    • About 384,000 km
  6. A jet stream moves 300 km/h (example data). How long would it take to carry air 4,500 km, by Noah's math?

    • About 15 hours
    • About 1,350,000 hours
    • About 150 hours
    • About 0.07 hours
  7. Four evidence cards, labeled A to D. Which evidence best supports a high-pressure belt near 30°, by Pia's reading (NOAA)?

    • Trade winds blow from the west there
    • The polar jet sits at 30°
    • Many deserts lie near 30° N and S
    • Rain forests line the 30° belt
  8. Use this

    A wavy jet stream high above the surface.

  9. A weather balloon over 45° N finds winds of 250 km/h from the west at 9 km (model data). What has it most likely found, by Ren's reading?

    • The trade winds
    • A jet stream
    • A westerly breeze at the surface
    • The polar easterlies
  10. Model data: a polar jet's average latitude moves from 40° N in winter to 50° N in summer. What explains it, by Tala's reading (NOAA)?

    • It follows the Sun, shifting poleward as the Sun climbs higher
    • It moves toward the equator in summer
    • Ocean currents push it north
    • It reverses direction each season
  11. Which summary of jet streams fits NOAA, by Ari's reading?

    • Ocean currents running 30,000 feet deep
    • Wide east-to-west surface winds, strongest in summer
    • Narrow west-to-east winds near 30,000 feet, strongest in winter
    • Narrow west-to-east winds that stay fixed in one spot each year
  12. Which summary of why air turns east as it moves poleward fits NOAA, by Bo's reading?

    • Winds blow from high to low with no turning
    • Earth's surface speeds up toward the poles
    • Air turns west as it moves poleward
    • It keeps its eastward momentum as Earth's surface slows toward the poles
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9th grade Global wind belts and the jet stream worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Explain global wind belts and the jet stream. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can name the Hadley, Ferrel and polar cells and the wind belts they make: trades, westerlies and polar easterlies.
  • I can place the pressure belts (highs near 30° and the poles; lows at the equator and 50° to 60°) and link them to deserts and storms.
  • I can describe jet streams (narrow west-to-east winds near 30,000 feet, strongest in winter) and explain why air turns east as it moves poleward.

Standard: none (TX)

Words to know

Hadley cell: The tropical loop, rising at the equator and sinking near 30°

Ferrel cell: The middle-latitude loop with westerlies at the surface

polar cell: The small loop that sinks at the poles

trade winds: Steady easterly winds in the tropics

jet stream: A narrow band of strong west-to-east wind high up

Common mistakes

Your child mixed up the circulation cells. NOAA: three cells in each hemisphere; the Hadley cell in the tropics, the Ferrel cell in the middle latitudes and the small polar cell near the poles.

Your child turned a wind belt the wrong way. NOAA: northeast trades in the north's tropics, westerlies in the middle latitudes, easterlies near the poles.

Your child swapped the pressure belts. NOAA: highs near 30° and at the poles bring fair, dry weather; lows near the equator and 50° to 60° bring rain and storms.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with global wind belts and the jet stream?

Your child mixed up the circulation cells. NOAA: three cells in each hemisphere; the Hadley cell in the tropics, the Ferrel cell in the middle latitudes and the small polar cell near the poles.

Are these 9th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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