From cloud to rain
Rising air cools and makes clouds and rain.
Rising moist air
Warm, moist air rises high above the ground.
What happens to the moisture as the air rises?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Rising air expands and cools, its moisture condenses into droplets that form clouds, and the droplets merge and fall as rain, hail or snow; strong winds with rain make a storm.
Rising moist air
Warm, moist air rises high above the ground.
What happens to the moisture as the air rises?
- It condenses into water droplets and forms clouds
- It becomes hotter and disappears
- It turns to sand
Make a storm
Press Next step to build the picture.
Cloud to storm
Rising air cools as it expands and its moisture condenses into droplets that form clouds. The droplets merge into heavier drops and fall as rain, hail or snow. Strong winds together with rain make a storm.
Rising air expands and cools; moisture condenses into droplets (clouds); droplets merge and fall as rain, hail or snow. Strong winds with rain = storm.
Notes
Rising air cools, moisture condenses to clouds, drops fall as rain, hail or snow. Strong winds with rain are a storm.
Check yourself
Rising air expands and …
Clouds form when the moisture in the rising air …
The droplets in a cloud merge into heavier drops and come down as …
Strong winds accompanied by rain are called a …
- cools — correct. Yes!
- warms. Rising air cools as it expands.
- turns into ice at once. It cools, and the moisture condenses into droplets.
- freezes into sand. Clouds are made when moisture condenses into droplets.
- condenses to form water droplets — correct. Yes!
- vanishes. The moisture condenses into water droplets.
- only sunshine. Heavy drops fall as rain, hail or snow.
- only dust. They fall as rain, hail or snow.
- rain, hail or snow — correct. Yes!
- storm — correct. Yes!
- breeze. A breeze is gentle. Strong wind with rain is a storm.
- sunny spell. Strong winds with rain make a storm.