Weather & seasons · Moving air
How do we notice wind?
Puschel cannot see the air, but his hair has noticed it.
The short answer
Wind is moving air. Air presses on its surroundings; this is air pressure. Differences in air pressure drive air movement. Fluttering ribbons or moving leaves show the wind’s effects, although you usually cannot see the air itself.
See the connection
Simplified drawings, not to scale. Not a guide for identifying species.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
Puschel’s forelock lifts. Puschel“Someone is combing me without a comb!” Flauschi looks at gently swaying grass. Flauschi“That is the wind.”
Puschel holds one end of a short fabric ribbon. Its free end flutters. Flauschi watches from the side without blocking the ribbon. The grass keeps moving too.
Flauschi“Invisible, but noticeable,” says Flauschi. Puschel smooths his hair. It keeps a tiny greeting from the wind anyway.
Little Wusel quiz
What can we see even though air is usually invisible?
Show answer
The effects of wind, such as moving grass, leaves and a fluttering ribbon.
Word help
- rotation
- Turning around one's own axis.
- air pressure
- Air presses on its surroundings. Air pressure describes the force on a given area.
- precipitation
- Water reaching Earth from clouds, such as rain or snow.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
Understand step by step
How it works – simply explained
Differences develop
Uneven heating by the Sun can create air-pressure differences. Pressure describes how much force air exerts per unit area.
Air moves
Pressure differences drive movement, also influenced by Earth’s rotation and obstacles. Wind is moving air, not another substance.
Effects are visible
Air forces move a leaf. The leaf is evidence of wind, not wind itself. Children observe strong wind from safe shelter.
The key points again
Discover
Wind is moving air. Differences in air pressure drive this movement.
Understand
We do not usually see the air itself. Moving leaves, grasses or a fluttering ribbon show its effects.
Connections
Wind varies in strength. Weather also includes temperature and precipitation.