What is the term for the movement of air from high pressure to low pressure, causing wind?

• A. Humidity
• B. Wind
• C. Conduction
• D. Vapor pressure

Answer: (B)

Air moves from regions of higher pressure to regions of lower pressure. That horizontal flow of air from high to low pressure is what we call wind. The atmosphere is unevenly heated, so some areas end up with higher surface pressure and others with lower pressure. Air constantly tries to balance these pressures, moving across the ground to fill in the gaps. Humidity, conduction, and vapor pressure describe moisture content, heat transfer by contact, and the pressure of water vapor, respectively, and they don’t define the actual movement of air that creates wind.