Why does barometer predict weather?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Low pressure brings storms
Measures temperature changes — Wrong. Barometer measures atmospheric pressure, not temperature. Pressure changes indicate approaching weather systems—low pressure = storms.
Low pressure brings storms ✓ — Correct! Rising pressure means a high-pressure system is coming (clear weather). Falling pressure means low pressure approaching (clouds, rain, storms). A rapid drop warns of severe weather. In low-pressure areas, air rises and cools, causing condensation and rain. In high pressure, air sinks and warms, clearing skies. Sailors have long used barometers—'glass falling' means storms ahead!
Barometer detects wind speed — Wrong. Barometer measures air pressure, not wind speed (anemometer does that). Pressure changes indicate weather systems—low pressure = storms approaching.
More Weather & Climate questions
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- Why do hail researchers simulate the paths individual hailstones take through a storm instead of just counting how many thunderstorms occur?
- Why does hail reach the ground smaller and less often in the tropics than in mid-latitudes?
- Why can one hailstone have both clear and cloudy ice layers instead of growing in one simple up-and-down path?
- Why is the coldest storm top not the best place for hail to grow?
- Why do supercells make 5-cm hail when ordinary storms usually cannot?