Clouds have a weight of thousands of tons, but how can they float in the sky? Read this article to find out the scientific explanation. You will learn how clouds are formed, float, and fall.
Clouds are one of the natural phenomena that we often see in the sky. Clouds look like fluffy and light cotton balls. But, did you know that clouds actually have a very large weight? According to research, an average cumulus cloud can weigh up to 500 tons or equivalent to 500 cars¹². So, how can clouds stay floating in the sky without falling to the ground?
Clouds Are Formed from Very Small Water Droplets
Clouds are formed from the condensation of water vapor in the air. Water vapor is a gas that is invisible to the eye. When water vapor rises to a certain height, it will meet cold air and change into water droplets or ice crystals. These water droplets or ice crystals then gather to form clouds¹ ².
Water droplets or ice crystals that form clouds have a very small size, about 0.01 mm. If compared to sugar cubes, the size of cloud droplets is equal to sugar cubes that are divided into one billion pieces². This very small size makes cloud droplets have a very low mass compared to the volume of air around them.
Clouds Float Because of Air Currents and Heat Convection
Although they have mass, cloud droplets do not immediately fall to the ground because of air currents and heat convection. Air currents are air flows that occur due to differences in pressure and temperature in the atmosphere. Air currents can blow cloud droplets upwards with a higher speed than their falling speed² ⁴.
Heat convection is the transfer of heat from below to above due to differences in air density. Warm air has a lower density than cold air, so it will rise up and push cloud droplets to float¹². This warm air comes from the earth's surface that is heated by the sun.
Clouds Fall to the Ground as Rain or Snow
Although they can float in the sky, clouds cannot stay there forever. Clouds will fall to the ground as rain or snow if cloud droplets become larger and heavier²³. This can happen because of several factors, such as:
- Colliding with each other between cloud droplets
- Absorbing water vapor from the surroundings
- Experiencing further cooling
When cloud droplets are large and heavy enough, the earth's gravity will pull them down. The falling speed depends on the size and shape of cloud droplets. The larger and rounder cloud droplets are, the faster they fall².
The type of precipitation or liquid that falls from the sky also depends on the temperature and water content in the cloud. If the temperature is high enough and the cloud contains a lot of water, then rain will occur. If the temperature is low enough and the cloud contains a lot of ice crystals, then snow will occur³.
Conclusion
Clouds are natural phenomena that are formed from the condensation of water vapor into water droplets or ice crystals. Clouds have a very large weight, reaching hundreds of tons. However, clouds can float in the sky because cloud droplets have a very small and light size, and are pushed by air currents and heat convection. Clouds will fall to the ground as rain or snow if cloud droplets become larger and heavier.
Source:
(2)https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/why-dont-clouds-fall-ground.
(3) https://mind-blowingfacts.com/clouds-float/.
(4) https://earthprofessor.com/dont-clouds-fall-ground/.
(5) Getty Images
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