Name________________________________________ Pd_______ Date_____________

CLIMATIC FACTORS: LATITUDE AND TEMPERATURE

Purpose: To see how the year-round temperatures of a city are related to its latitude.

Background: Latitude is defined as the distance in degrees north or south of the Equator.
Because of Earths spherical shape, the angle of the Suns rays and the length of daylight
(insolation) are different for different latitudes at any given moment. Because of Earths revolution
around the Sun, these two factors angle of the rays and length of daylight (insolation)
constantly change throughout the year. In this exercise we shall see how the month-by-month
mean temperatures of four different cities appear to be related to their latitudes. It should be noted
that all four cities are below 500 feet above sea level.

As you complete each step of the procedures below, place a check mark in the box.

CUT OUTS:
Cut out the Data Table and the World Map and glue both to page 60 of your INB.

PART A PROCEDURE:
On page 61 of your Interactive Notebook, create a graph that is 24 boxes wide (X-Axis)
and 30 boxes tall (Y-Axis).
Label your X-Axis Month and label every other line a month (starting with January).
Label your Y-Axis Average Monthly Temperatures. Starting your Y-Axis with 0F,
continue to label each line with temperature values each line must equal 3F (up to
90F).
Do not forget key important graph features:
o Title
o Label for each axis including the units
o Key
Plot the position of each of the four cities on the data table on the map using the
longitude and latitude provided. Use a different color for each city and create a key.
Plot the temperature curves, month by month, for Singapore, Malaysia.
Plot the temperature curves, month by month, for Calcutta, India.
Plot the temperature curves, month by month, for Washington, D.C.
Plot the temperature curves, month by month, for Moscow, Russia.

PART B PROCEDURE:
Calculate the Yearly Mean (the average) and the Yearly Range (the difference between
the highest and the lowest temperatures) for each location and place that in the data
table (you do not need to graph these numbers).
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESITONS:
Describe the relationship shown by the table & graph between latitude and mean
temperature.
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Describe the relation shown by the table/graph between latitude and temperature range for
the year.
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How does the shape of the line for each city relate to the range of temperature? (Slope?
Curvy-ness?)
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Why does Singapores location near the equator cause it to have uniform (the same, similar)
temperatures throughout the year?
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Why do you think Calcutta is so much warmer from March through October than from
November through February? (Think about the angle of the Suns rays and length of daylight).
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In which months is Calcutta warmer than Singapore? ________________

Why?
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Which is the warmest month in both Washington D.C. and Moscow? ________________
Why do you think it is the same for both?
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When does the temperature peak in Calcutta? _____________ Moscow? ________________

Why do the temperatures peak at different times of the year?
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Which is the coldest month in both Washington D.C. and Moscow? ________________ Why?
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SUMMARY: In the space below, summarize what you have learned about latitude and
temperature.

Data Table

Mean Monthly Temperatures (Degrees Fahrenheit)

Singapore, Calcutta, Washington, Moscow,

Malaysia India D.C., U.S.A. Russia
Latitude 2 N 23 N 39 N 56 N
Longitude 104 E 88 E 77 W 37 E
January 80 67 36 12
February 80 71 37 15
March 81 80 46 24
April 82 85 55 38
May 82 86 65 53
June 81 85 74 62
July 81 84 78 66
August 81 83 76 63
September 81 83 70 52
October 81 81 58 40
November 81 73 48 28
December 80 67 38 17

Yearly Mean
Yearly Range

World Map