What's the difference between weather and climate?
People use 'weather' and 'climate' like they mean the same thing, but I get the sense they're different. When there's a cold day, some people say 'so much for global warming.' Is that a misunderstanding of weather versus climate? Can someone explain the difference clearly?
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There's a great explanation of this on the HowStuffWorks website, and the NASA site has good material too if it's space-related. Both are written for normal people, not scientists, so you won't get lost in jargon.
3 Answers
There's a great explanation of this on the HowStuffWorks website, and the NASA site has good material too if it's space-related. Both are written for normal people, not scientists, so you won't get lost in jargon.
I teach high school science and I get this question every year. The textbook explanation is a simplification — a useful one, but a simplification. The real answer involves stuff you'd cover in a college course, but I can give you the gist.
Great question! The math behind this is complex but the concept is actually straightforward once you see it the right way. Forget what you learned in school for a moment and think about it from first principles.
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