Precipitation/ Cloud Lab Investigation 1

How precipitation forms clouds  Clouds form when humid air rises upward. As the air rises it expands. The further the air molecules rise into the atmosphere the cooler they become.  Water droplets or vapor depositions (turns to crystals) forming clouds.  Water vapor that cools closer to the ground has reached its dew point temperature and becomes fog.

Cloud information  Cloud Altitude: The height above ground level where water condenses.  Cloud Coverage: Percentage of the sky clouds cover. 1. Clear-no clouds, 1. Clear-no clouds, 2. Scattered- 25% of the sky has clouds 2. Scattered- 25% of the sky has clouds 3. Partly cloudy- 50% of the sky has clouds 3. Partly cloudy- 50% of the sky has clouds 4. cloudy- 75% of the sky has clouds 4. cloudy- 75% of the sky has clouds 5. Sky obscured-100% of the sky covered with clouds 5. Sky obscured-100% of the sky covered with clouds  Cloud movement: Move in the direction the wind blows

Cloud Types (Chart)

Precipitation  Forms when rain (water) droplets grow large enough to fall out of the clouds.  Rain Gauge: measures the amount of rain that falls on a level surface without soaking into the ground.

Precipitation/Cloud Lab 1. Explain and illustrate how clouds and precipitation are produced in the atmosphere. 2.Give the types of clouds, altitude, and coverage outside today. 3.Write the procedure to constructing a rain gauge. 4.Include a copy of the water cycle and cloud chart in your lab.

Cloud Chart  Altitude Scale  3-dimensional clouds with similar shape to actual clouds.  Clouds are labeled  Sea-level illustrated