Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

1,000 feet (300 meters). At close range it

could shoot through a knight’s armor.

A powerful military rifle has two supports to

hold it steady. A small telescope, or scope,

helps the soldier to take aim.

26 Weasel BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Weasels live on every continent except

Australia and Antarctica. There are

about 10 species, or types, of weasel.

The least weasel lives in Europe, Asia,

and North America. The long-tailed

weasel is common in North America

and South America.

Weasels have very long, thin bodies. The

neck is long and flexible.Weasels usually

have brown fur. Some species turn white

during winter.

Weasels are small animals. Not including

its tail, the long-tailed weasel is

about 10 to 12 inches long. It weighs 3

to 12 ounces (85 to 350 grams). The

least weasel is the smallest living carnivore,

or meat-eater. It weighs only 1 to

2.5 ounces (30 to 70 grams). The least

weasel is about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20

centimeters) long.

Weasels hunt alone at night. They move

quietly and use scent to track their prey.

They also have very good hearing.Weasels

usually eat mice, rats, fish, and frogs.

Many weasels are valued for their skins

and furs. Tail hair from some weasels is

used to make paintbrushes.

#More to explore

Mammal • Mink •Wolverine

Weather

Weather is the daily state of the atmosphere,

or air, in any given place. It is

different from climate. Climate is the

average of weather conditions in an area

over a long period.

Elements ofWeather

Many different elements combine to

create weather. Temperature is one of

the basic elements of weather. Temperature

is how warm or cold it is outside.

Wind, or the movement of air across

Earth’s surface, is a second element of

weather.Winds may be gentle or very

powerful.

A third element of weather is humidity,

or the amount of moisture in the air.

Warm air can hold more moisture than

cold air can.

Precipitation is a fourth element of

weather. Precipitation may come in

many forms, including rain, hail, sleet,

and snow. The form precipitation takes

depends on other weather conditions,

such as temperature.

A fifth element of weather is atmospheric

pressure. This is the weight of air

above a given area. Changes in pressure

help people to predict approaching

The stoat, or short-tailed weasel, has mostly

brown fur in summer. In winter the fur may

turn white.

Scientists

sometimes try

to control

weather. For

example, they

may add

chemical particles

to clouds

in order to

cause raindrops

to form.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Weather 27

 

storms. A storm is a disturbance in the

atmosphere—for example, a thunderstorm

or a hurricane.

Meteorology

Meteorology is the scientific study of

weather. People who study and predict

weather are called meteorologists.

Meteorologists use many instruments to

gather information about weather. The

thermometer and the barometer are two

of the oldest and most common weather

instruments. The thermometer measures

temperature, and the barometer measures

atmospheric pressure. Another

common instrument is the wind vane,

which shows the direction in which

winds are blowing.

Today satellites in space collect weather

information worldwide. Computers help

meteorologists to track weather patterns

and to make weather forecasts, or predictions.

..More to explore

Climate • Rain • Snow • Storm •Wind

Wellington

Population

(2007

estimate), urban

area, 379,100

Wellington is the capital of New

Zealand, an island country in the South

Pacific Ocean. The city is New

Zealand’s cultural center. It is located

on the coast of North Island. The city

and its port lie on a bay called Port

Nicholson, one of the world’s finest

harbors.

Many people inWellington work for the

government or in service industries such

as trade, health care, education, or com-

A meteorologist, or weather scientist, studies

computer images of a hurricane. Meteorologists

study satellite images of storms to

find out how strong they are and which

way they are headed.

A cable car carries people between downtown

Wellington, New Zealand, and the

Wellington Botanical Garden.

28 Wellington BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

munications. The city is New Zealand’s

center of business and banking. The

tourism and film industries also bring

money toWellington. Factories in the

city make cars, furniture, plastics, and

other products.

The Maori people have lived in the

Wellington area for hundreds of years.

Great Britain took control of New

Zealand in the 1800s. The British

foundedWellington in 1840. The capital

of New Zealand was moved from

Auckland toWellington in 1865. New

Zealand became an independent country

in 1947.Wellington remained its

capital.

#More to explore

New Zealand

Wells-Barnett,

Ida B.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a writer and

public speaker in the United States during

the late 1800s and early 1900s. Her

speeches and writings tell a shocking

story of how whites killed African

Americans in attacks called lynchings.

Early Life

Ida BellWells was born on July 16,

1862, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Her

parents were slaves.Wells’s family

gained their freedom after the American

CivilWar ended in 1865.

Wells was about 16 years old when both