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9th grade Pressure systems, fronts and weather maps worksheet

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Pressure systems, fronts and weather maps

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. A student says widely spaced isobars mean strong wind. Which reply fits NOAA, by Jun's reading?

    • No; the spacing shows rain amounts
    • Correct; wide spacing means a steep gradient and very fast wind
    • No; close spacing means a steep gradient and stronger wind
    • Correct; the spacing shows temperature
  2. The four front symbols in a legend. A student says the red line with half-moons is a cold front. Which reply fits NOAA, by Kira's reading?

    • No; it is an occluded front
    • Correct; the colors on weather maps are random and carry no meaning
    • Correct; red half-moons mark cold air
    • No; that is a warm front, and a cold front is blue with triangles
  3. NOAA: 1013.25 mb equals 29.92 inches of mercury. About how many mb is 1 inch of mercury, by Luz's math?

    • About 0.03 mb
    • About 1,043 mb
    • About 33.9 mb
    • About 983 mb
  4. Model map: isobars 4 mb apart lie 80 km apart near one low and 320 km apart near another. How many times steeper is the first gradient, by Milo's math?

    • 4 times
    • 16 times
    • 240 times
    • 0.25 times
  5. Read this first

    Use this

    A slow warm front beside a sharp cold front.

  6. A station reports falling pressure, clouds lowering and thickening, steady light rain and an east wind (model data). Which front is coming, by Pia's reading (NOAA)?

    • An occluded front that has stalled
    • A warm front
    • A cold front that just passed
    • A high-pressure center
  7. A station reports a line of thunderstorms, then a wind shift to the northwest, a 15 °C drop and clearing skies (model data). What passed, by Ren's reading?

    • The center of a high
    • A stationary front
    • A warm front
    • A cold front
  8. The four front symbols in a legend. A purple line with triangles and half-moons on one side sits near an old low. What does it show, by Tala's reading (NOAA)?

    • A stationary front
    • An occluded front, often a sign the system is mature and weakening
    • A dry line
    • A new cold front forming
  9. Which summary of pressure systems fits NOAA, by Zee's reading?

    • Wind blows from low pressure toward high pressure
    • Highs: sinking air, fair skies, clockwise; lows: rising air, clouds, counterclockwise
    • Highs and lows both spin clockwise in the north
    • Highs: rising air and storms; lows: fair skies
  10. The four front symbols in a legend. Which summary of front symbols fits NOAA, by Ari's reading?

    • Cold: red half-moons; warm: blue triangles
    • Occluded: blue triangles; cold: purple
    • Cold: blue triangles; warm: red half-moons; stationary: alternating; occluded: purple
    • Each front is drawn as a plain black line
  11. Which summary of reading wind on a weather map fits NOAA, by Bo's reading?

    • Close isobars mean calm; a pennant means 5 knots
    • Wide isobars mean strong wind; each barb counts 1 knot of wind speed
    • Close isobars mean strong wind; barbs count 10, 5 and 50 knots
    • Winds circle highs counterclockwise in the north
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9th grade Pressure systems, fronts and weather maps worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Read pressure systems, fronts and weather maps. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can read highs (sinking air, fair skies, clockwise outflow) and lows (rising air, clouds, counterclockwise inflow) in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • I can use isobar spacing to judge wind strength, and read station-model wind barbs.
  • I can read the four front symbols and match each front to its weather.

Standard: none (TX, FL)

Words to know

isobar: A line joining points of equal air pressure

pressure gradient: How quickly pressure changes with distance

cold front: The leading edge of cold air pushing out warmer air

warm front: The leading edge of warm air replacing cold air

occluded front: Where a faster cold front has caught a warm front

Common mistakes

Your child swapped highs and lows. NOAA: in a high, sinking air warms and clouds evaporate, bringing fair weather; in a low, converging air rises, cools and forms clouds and rain.

Your child misread the isobars. NOAA: isobars join points of equal pressure; the closer they are, the steeper the pressure gradient and the stronger the wind.

Your child turned the wind the wrong way. NOAA: in the Northern Hemisphere wind spirals counterclockwise into lows and clockwise out of highs, because of the Coriolis force and friction.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with pressure systems, fronts and weather maps?

Your child swapped highs and lows. NOAA: in a high, sinking air warms and clouds evaporate, bringing fair weather; in a low, converging air rises, cools and forms clouds and rain.

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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