What is a cloud?

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by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author

Clouds look like they could be made of cotton candy or whipped cream, but believe it or not they’re actually made up of tiny drops of water or little pieces of ice which are so small and so light that they can float in the air!

When lots and lots of these tiny, light water droplets float up high into the sky, they come together like a bunch of friends and then hold on to each other, as if hugging or holding hands. When so many tiny, light water droplets hang on to each other like this, it forms clouds!

Have you ever learned about how things get their color? Clouds get their white color because their droplets scatter all of the colors of light, which means there are no colors left to shine back and the cloud appears -- you guessed it -- white!

Are you wondering about exactly how the droplets of water that make up a cloud got into the air in the first place? – The answer has to do with the “Water Cycle” and the way that water evaporates!

When water (such as the water of oceans, seas, and rivers) gets warm enough, it evaporates, which means it changes from its liquid form (like the water you drink and use when you shower) into its gas form, known as “water vapor.”

Water vapor is involved in all kinds of weather occurrences, including snow, frost, and – you guessed it – clouds!

As warm water vapor reaches higher altitudes, it cools off and turns back into little drops of water or small pieces of ice; these are what then group together and form into clouds!

Cloud gazing!

Have you ever been outside to go Cloud Gazing?

On a sunny day with lots of nice, fluffy clouds in the sky, go outside with a friend and lie down in the grass. Gaze up at the clouds, and tell each other about what kinds of shapes you see!

Maybe you’ll see a dinosaur in the same cloud that your friend sees an airplane! You can make up stories together about the clouds and the shapes you see in them. Does the dinosaur fly the airplane? The possibilities are endless!