ATMO 203: STUDY GUIDE FOR TUTORIAL 12

1) Know what Newton’s First Law says and how it applies to the atmosphere.

2) Know what is meant by an air parcel.

3) Know what Newton’s Second Law says, how it applies to the atmosphere, and how to express it mathematically as a function of density.

4) Know why motions in the atmosphere are fairly small.

5) Identify how all the following forces pertain to the atmosphere:

a) Gravity

b) Centrifugal Force

c) Pressure Gradient Force

d) Friction

e) Coriolis Force

6) Know why air doesn’t “fall” due to the weight of gravity.

7) Know some of the common misconceptions about the Coriolis force.

8) Make sure you have a good understanding of these forces, their computation and application to atmospheric balance will be covered in the next few tutorials.