How Do Clouds

Form?
How do clouds form?
What is the difference between evaporation and
condensation?

Remember, evaporation happens when water is heated

enough that it turns into a gas called water vapor. This water
vapor rises higher and higher in the atmosphere until it starts
to cool. (Remember the air gets colder with increasing
altitude!) When the water vapor cools enough, it turns back
into liquid water drops. This is condensation.

Review - Evaporation and Condensation

How do clouds form?

There are 3 main ways that clouds can form.

One way that air cools in by being pushed upward over

mountains by winds.
How do clouds form?

Another way clouds can form is when the air is heated.

Heating the air causes it to rise. When the Sun heats the
ground enough, the air above the ground gets warm and rises.
As the air expands, it cools.
How do clouds form?

A third way that clouds can form is when cool and warm air
meet. When air gets pushed upward it causes cool and warm
air to meet. When the two meet, they don’t mix! The lighter,
warm air is pushed over the heavier cold air. The causes the
warm air to be pushed up higher into the atmosphere where it
cools.
How do clouds form?

Video - Cloud in a Bottle Demo.

Video - Our World Cool Clouds

Video - How Clouds Form