Wind: Glossary

air: the gaseous envelope that surrounds the Earth.

air pressure: a force produced by the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area.

density: the amount of mass of a substance to a given volume.

electrical energy: energy resulting from the flow of charged particles, i.e. electrons or ions.

global winds: winds the blow steadily from specific directions over long distances.

horizontal-axis turbine: a type of wind turbine where the main drive shaft is set horizontally.

kinetic energy: a form of energy associated with motion of a body of matter.

local winds: winds that blow over short distances.

mass: the amount of matter an object contains.

mechanical energy: the sum of the kinetic energy and the potential energy of a body of matter.

monsoons: winds that blow over large regions and change direction with the seasons from land to a body of water then from a body of water to land.

temperature: the average amount of energy of motion in the molecules of a substance.

wind: the movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure.

wind turbine: a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical energy which is then used to produce electricity.

vertical-axis turbine: a type of wind turbine where the main drive shaft is set vertically.