Cloud Formation

Ever wondered how clouds are formed? Or where do they come from? Find out answers to your questions with the fun project provided below!

How Are Clouds Formed?

A mass of ice crystals or water drops suspended in the atmosphere is known as a cloud. A cloud is formed when the water condenses in the sky. The sky always possesses some amount of water vapours and it is invisible to us. Clouds are formed when an area of air becomes cooler until the water vapour there condenses to liquid form. At this point, the air is said to be saturated with water vapours. Below, we have provided an experiment to help you understand the formation of clouds better. You can try it yourself at home!

Cloud Formation Experiment

Objective

The main objective of this experiment is to focus on the formation of clouds by making use of a few household materials.

Materials

• Droppers
• Blue Food Colour
• A clear Jar
• Shaving Cream
• A container of water

Procedure

• Take a small jar or a cup. Fill the water up to three-fourths of the way.
• Add shaving cream at the top.
• Wait until the shaving cream settles fully at the top of the water.
• Now take a separate bowl, add a few drops of food colouring along with a few drops of water.
• Add it to a dropper or pipettes.
• Now the actual experiment begins.
• Using these droppers just drops the colours on the cloud.

Result

Now one could witness the formation of clouds. Once the cloud is filled with water it would start to rain.

Clouds are nothing but masses of condensed water vapours and they show visible signs of atmospheric processes at work. Cloud’s regulate the energy balance of the earth by absorbing infrared radiations and scattering solar radiation. In addition to this, clouds redistribute surplus energy from the equator to the poles and return water to the oceans and landmasses.