Clouds form when rising air, through expansion, cools to the point where some of the water vapor molecules "clump together" faster than they are torn apart by their thermal energy.
Some of that invisible water vapor condenses to form visible cloud droplets or ice crystals. The cloud example pictured above is considered "convective", because it is produced from warm air pockets rising directly "convecting" from the underlying surface. Convective clouds are typically smaller, a hundred yards to several miles across. Stratiform clouds have a more uniform, featureless appearance, and often cover the whole sky. Some different types of clouds can be seen here. After cloud droplets or ice crystals form, then what happens to them?
One of two things. Follow-up on this answer. Learn more physics! Related Questions. Still Curious? Just two questions about clouds: 1. What holds them together?
There is a lot of wind up where they are, and they are just collections of tiny drops of water. What holds them up? Again, they are just collections of tiny drops of water. While the basic concepts of cloud formation apply to all clouds, everyone knows that no two clouds look exactly alike! However, meteorologists use a classification system to group clouds into types to help them understand and predict their effects on the weather. The most common one is cumulus, referring to the popular puffballs.
While some of the names can be rather long and complicated, they have some basic components that will help you break them down. Common cloud types and their names. Image: Smithsonian Science Education Center. Look at some of the cloud types and their names in the illustration above and see if you can figure out how they might form and what kind of weather they might bring.
Please visit our publisher, Carolina Biological , to learn more. View the discussion thread. Skip to main content. Condensation Warm, moist air is less dense than the air around it, so it begins to rise higher into the sky.
Image: Smithsonian Science Education Center Look at some of the cloud types and their names in the illustration above and see if you can figure out how they might form and what kind of weather they might bring. Extending Your Knowledge. Categories Science. Behind the Scenes. What is Photosynthesis. Are All Snowflakes Really Different? The Science of Winter.
0コメント