There are three main requirements for cloud formation: moisture, cooling air, and condensation nuclei. Moisture is provided by water vapor in the air. Cooling is needed for the water vapor to condense, which often occurs at high altitudes where the air is cooler. Condensation nuclei like dust and smoke particles provide surfaces for water molecules to gather and condense into water droplets. Clouds are classified by their altitude and appearance, with cirrus being high wispy clouds and cumulus being lower puffy clouds. Cumulonimbus clouds can produce thunderstorms.

1. Clouds: the basics

2. Formation Three requirements for clouds to form

3. Moisture There must be sufficient water vapor in the air to build a cloud. In the Cloud in a jar experiment this was provided by the boiling water

4. Cooling Air The air temperature must decrease enough for water vapor to condense. (You see snow on mountain tops because it is cooler at high altitudes…. Clouds form high in the sky because the air is cooler up there) The ice and the cold jar accomplished this in our experiment

5. Condensation nuclei Simpler than it sounds Tiny particles, invisible to the human eye, such as dust, dirt, and pollutants, provide surfaces on which water molecules can gather and condense into water droplets. The smoke provided the tiny particles in the Experiment

6. Types of Clouds Many different classification Altitude Cirrus – High Alto – Mid Stratus - Low Nimbus/Nimbo: associated with precipitation Cumulus fluffy

7. Stratus Also means layered clouds (flat)

8. Cumulus Clumpy puffy clouds

9. Cirrus composed of ice crystals Thin and wisplike strands

10. Cumulonimbus Clouds much larger and more vertically developed than fair weather cumulus Are associated with powerful thunderstorms

11. Many more alto-cumulus - Middle-level, medium-sized puffy clouds. alto-stratus - Middle-level, layered clouds. cirro-cumulus - High-altitude, small, wispy, patchy, puffy clouds. cirro-stratus - High-altitude, thin, wispy clouds in layers. cirrus - High-altitude, thin, wispy clouds. cumulo-nimbus - Large, dense, towering clouds that cause thunderstorms. cumulus - Low, puffy clouds. fog - Ground-hugging clouds. nimbo-stratus - Low, dark, rain cloud. stratus - Low, layered, horizontal, wispy clouds with a flat base. strato-cumulus - Low clouds, broad and flat on the bottom, puffy on top (higher than cumulus and lower than altocumulus).

12. Fill in the Graph

13. Solution

14. References Wikipedia.org Enchantedlearning.com www.mal.sbo.hampton.k12.va.us