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Clouds & Precipitation
Notes/Vocabulary
pgs. D44-D46
Chapter 10 Lesson 5
How do clouds form?
 when warm air & cold air meet, cold air pushes up
the warm air and a cloud can form
 when air rises and cools, the water vapor in the air
condenses into tiny water droplets and forms a
cloud
 If the temperature is below the freezing point, a
cloud will form out of tiny ice crystals
 In order for water vapor to condense, it must have
something to attach to. Do you know what that
something is? (answer on the next slide)
dust
1. stratus clouds
 A cloud that forms a blanket-like layer
 Stratus: It's Latin for "covering" or
"blanket." Stratus clouds look like a flat
blanket in the sky.
 When there is an overcast the entire sky is
covered in clouds.
2. cumulus clouds


a puffy cloud that appears to rise up from a
flat bottom
Cumulus: In Latin, this means
"heap." Cumulus clouds look like a heap
of cotton balls or whipped cream.
3. cirrus clouds


a high altitude cloud with a featherlike
shape, made of ice crystals
Cirrus: It's Latin for "curl." Cirrus clouds
look like curls of white hair.
4. Nimbo or nimbus
 Nimbo or nimbus might be used with
cumulus or stratus to indicate a cloud
formation that is producing rain. These
clouds could be either cumulonimbus
which would be a puffy, vertically-rising rain
cloud or nimbostratus which would be a
sheet or flat-looking rain cloud.
5. fog
 a cloud at ground level
6. precipitation
 any form of water particles that falls from the
atmosphere and reaches the ground
 hail forms in tall clouds
**check out this website after reading pgs. D40-D49**
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/index.htm
Click on “Observe” and then see if you can pass the quiz.
7. transpiration
 process where leaves release water vapor
into the air
Cloud Game
**Play the cloud game**
http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/school/dondero/msm/weather/game.html
 Which of these clouds would most likely bring unstable
and very stormy weather?
A) cirrus
B) stratus
C) cumulus
D) cumulonimbus
 Which type of cloud does not produce rain?
A) cirrus
B) stratus
C) cumulus
D) cumulonimbus
 A weather update on the radio warns the residents of a
certain region of overcast skies with dense clouds, high
winds, and lightning. Based on this information, what will
be the most likely weather prediction for the region?
A) wet and stormy
B) cold and snowy
C) cold and foggy
D) warm and breezy
 Which statement explains why some clouds do not cause
rainfall?
A) they do not get high enough in the sky
B) they are made of cotton
C) they are made of smoke
D) they do not have enough water droplets
 Which of these types of clouds cause stormy weather?
A) stratus and cirrus clouds
B) stratus and cumulus clouds
C) cirrus and cumulonimbus clouds
D) cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds
 Cumulus clouds are white and high in the sky. Which
weather condition is most likely associated with this type
of cloud?
A) snowfall
B) fair weather
C) heavy rainfall
D) stormy weather
 Which of these clouds are puffy, white, and usually
associated with fair weather?
A) cirrus clouds
B) stratus clouds
C) cumulus clouds
D) cumulonimbus clouds
 Which of these statements correctly describes clouds?
A) clouds are bags of water
B) clouds are made of cotton
C) clouds are made of fog and snow
D) clouds are tiny droplets of water or ice
 How are clouds formed?
A) dust in the atmosphere collects
B) smoke in the atmosphere collets
C) water vapor in the atmosphere cools
D) air in the atmosphere comes together
 What causes clouds to produce rain?
A) rain occurs when clouds collide
B) rain occurs when clouds become warm
C) rain occurs when clouds become heavy with water
vapors
D) rain occurs when clouds become heavy with water
droplets
 Which statement best explains how clouds are formed?
A) clouds enter Earth’s sky from outer space
B) clouds are formed due to condensation of air.
C) clouds are sponges that absorb water from the sea.
D) clouds are formed due to the condensation of water
vapor.
 Which of these best describes what clouds and fog are
made of?
A) smoke
B) frozen air
C) water vapor
D) water droplets
 Which statement best explains the process of
precipitation?
A) clouds melting
B) clouds sweating
C) water vapor forming in clouds
D) water droplets falling from clouds
 Which is NOT a type of precipitation?
A) clouds
B) hail
C) rain
D) snow