| Questions | 5 |
| Topics | Base Units, Fronts, Geologic Time Scale, Prefixes, Warm Front |
| Measurement | Base Unit | Example |
|---|---|---|
| length / distance | meter (m) | km |
| mass | gram (g) | kg |
| volume | liter (L) | mL |
| volume (medical) | cubic centimeter (cc) | cc |
| time | second (s), minute (min), hour (h) | ms, min, h |
| temperature | centigrade (°C) | °C |
An air mass is a large body of air that has similar moisture (density) and temperature characteristics. A front is a transition zone between two air masses.
The Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old and its history is divided into time periods based on the events that took place and the forms of life that were dominant during those periods. The largest graduation of time is the eon and each eon is subdivided into eras, eras into periods, periods into epochs, and epochs into ages.
A prefix is added to the base units of the metric system to indicate variations in size. Each prefix specifies a value relative to the base unit in a multiple of 10. Common prefixes are:
| Prefix | Symbol | Relative Value | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| mega | M | 106 (1,000,000) | Mm |
| kilo | k | 103 (1,000) | km |
| base unit | N/A | 1 | m |
| centi | c | 10-2 (1/100) | cm |
| milli | m | 10-3 (1/1,000) | mm |
A warm front is the boundary between warm and cool (or cold) air when the warm air is replacing the cold air. Warm air at the surface pushes above the cool air mass creating clouds and storms.