This assessment is designed to assess student knowledge of the heating and cooling of atmosphere and how this can cause land and sea breezes.
Task:
You want to take a ride in a hot air balloon when you go to the beach. You don’t want to end up in the ocean, so you need to figure out when the air will be moving between the ocean and the land.
During the day, the air will be moving one way, and during the night the air moves the opposite way.
Use what you know about the difference in heating of surfaces, and convection currents to figure when you want to go up in the balloon.
During the day (6 am to 6 pm) which surface heats up more?
What evidence can you provide that supports your answer?
During the night (6 pm - 4 am) which surface cools down more?
What evidence can you provide that supports your answer?
In a hot air balloon, the air is heated by a flame at the bottom of the balloon. To rise faster you turn up the flame, making the air inside hotter. To fall, you turn off or lower the flame.
Draw a model of what is happening inside and outside the balloon that allows it to go up and down. In your model, show where energy transfer and transformation are occurring.
Create a model that shows: Why does the balloon go up when it is heated?
Here is a model checklist to help you when you create your model:
Air particles in the air
Air particles in the balloon
Arrows that show how the air particles move
more dense air
less dense air
hotter air
cooler air
energy transfer
energy transformation
Create a model that shows: Why does the balloon go down when you turn off the flame?
Here is a model checklist to help you when you create your model:
Air particles in the air
Air particles in the balloon
Arrows that show how the air particles move
more dense air
less dense air
hotter air
cooler air
energy transfer
energy transformation
Create a model that shows: How does air move over land and sea during the day.
Here is a model checklist to help you when you are creating your model:
land temerpature
water temerpature
air rising
air falling
hotter air
cooler air
arrows that show the movement of air
convection currents
Create a model that shows: How does air move over land and sea during the night?
Here is a model checklist to help you when you are creating your model:
land temerpature
water temerpature
air rising
air falling
hotter air
cooler air
arrows that show the movement of air
convection currents
Written Explanation
You want to go up in a hot air balloon at the beach.
What time of the day do you think would be the best time to take a ride in the balloon?
Take into consideration how the air will be moving at the beach.
Explain your answer using evidence from the model.
