The Clouds and the Weather

The Clouds and the Weather exercise

• How do clouds form?

  Hints

  A source is where something is obtained from. Can you obtain water in all of the options above?

  Remember that we can find the sources in nature.

  Solution

  The different sources of water that form clouds when the water vapor from them cools, are: seas, rivers, and plants. They are all natural water sources we can find around us.

• What type of clouds is Uma the Weather Fairy reporting about?

  Hints

  What do the clouds look like? They are fluffy and kind of like sheep. Which cloud type appears like sheep?

  Look at the different clouds. Which ones look most like the ones in Uma's forecast?

  Solution

  Uma the Weather Fairy is reporting about cumulus clouds. We know this because the image of the clouds shows mid-level clouds whose shape have clear edges and look like sheep.

• What three things are needed for a cloud to form?

  Hints

  Remember what temperature a cloud forms in.

  The name for the water in its gas form will help you chose the correct answer.

  Solution

  The three components needed to form a cloud are:

  • water vapor
  • cool air
  • dust particles

• What do you know about clouds?

  Hints

  Use image 1 to help you: What are the sun rays doing on the cloud?

  Use image 2 to help you: Look at what is coming out of the cup. How might you describe it?

  Use image 3 to help you: As the vapor rises, remember it gets cooler. What is it called?

  Use image 4 to help you: Think about if there would be more or less raindrops in a storm cloud.

  Solution

  • The sun reflects the water droplets and it looks like the cloud is white.

  We know that the sun creates the white color in clouds because it reflects the water droplets inside the cloud.

  • Clouds are made of tiny water droplets and see-through, or transparent, air.

  Clouds are made from water droplets and transparent air, like the steam from a coffee cup.

  • The process when water vapor cools down as it rises to form clouds is called condensation.

  As the water vapor rises, it cools down and begins to form clouds full of water droplets. This is condensation.

  • The darker the cloud, the more raindrops are in it.

  The color of the cloud tells us how many raindrops are in it, so we can tell that the cloud has more raindrops if it is a darker color. Think about how dark thunderstorm clouds are!

• Which of Uma's weather reports correctly describes the cloud shown?

  Hints

  What type of cloud is shown in the image? It is dark, stormy, and large enough to fill the sky. That means that it is a thunderstorm or cumulonimbus cloud.

  Remember to think about the different properties of clouds...which report best matches the properties from hint 1?

  Solution

  "It's a cool day with lots of wind. It is very dark and it looks like a storm is brewing. The sky is full of lots of clouds."

  The first weather report best describes the thunderstorm clouds, which can be seen in the image of Uma the Weather Fairy's report. We know this because she describes the correct properties associated with this cloud type:

  • dark
  • storm
  • sky full of clouds

• What are the properties of cirrus, cumulus, stratus, and thunderstorm clouds?

  Hints

  Remember that the properties tell you how the cloud looks. Check out the image to remind you.

  There are two characteristics per cloud type.

  The clouds are ordered from highest in the sky to lowest: Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus, and Cumulonimbus

  Solution

  • Cirrus clouds look like feathers and are the highest in the sky.

  • Cumulus clouds look like sheep and are mid-level in the sky.

  • Stratus clouds look like blankets in the sky and are scattered in clusters.

  • Cumulonimbus clouds are thunderstorm clouds. They are dark and multi-level.