Book 4, Question 77 · Video
Why Do Clouds Look Fluffy?
A fluffy cloud is a crowd of tiny water drops or ice crystals floating together! From the ground, the crowd looks like cotton, because light bounces off all those drops. Each drop
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hey there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do clouds look fluffy?
The Big Idea
A fluffy cloud is a crowd of tiny water drops or ice crystals floating together! From the ground, the crowd looks like cotton, because light bounces off all those drops. Each drop is so small it barely falls.
Air Rises and Cools
Step one: warm air rises and cools. Warm air rises from the ground, carrying invisible water vapor up into the sky. Higher up, the air is much colder, so the rising air cools down. Cool air can't hold as much vapor.
Drops Form
Step two: drops form. As the vapor cools, it turns into tiny water drops that gather together. Billions of them make a soft, puffy shape with bumpy edges. Each drop is too small to fall fast.
Light Bounces
Step three: light bounces, and the shape drifts. Sunlight bounces off millions of drops, so the cloud looks bright and white. Wind high in the sky pushes the cloud along, and its fluffy shape slowly changes. That's why clouds never stay the same, and why watching them is so much fun.
A Closer Look
Let's take a closer look at a cloud! The top is sunlit, so it looks bright white. The base is gray, because less light gets through all those drops. And rising air keeps feeding the cloud from below.
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Clouds are not smoke. They are water in the air. Airplane trails are made by people, but they are made of ice crystals too. A dark base often means the cloud is thick with water. Watch clouds from the ground, and go inside if a storm cloud comes close.
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! With a grown-up, watch one puffy cloud for 3 minutes. Did the edge of the cloud stay still? What moved, the cloud or the air inside it? Draw your cloud at the start and again at the end.
Outro
Billions of tiny drops make one big fluffy friend! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!