Clouds & Particles

Basics

1. Clouds

Can you answer the following questions?
1) Water can exist in three states: gas, liquid and solid. What states of water do we find in the atmosphere? a) only liquid b) only gas and liquid c) all three states d) only liquid and solid 2) Evaporation is the transition of water... a) from gas state to liquid state b) from solid state to gas state c) from liquid state to gas state d) from gas state to solid state 3) Condensation is the transition of water... a) from liquid state to gas state b) from gas state to liquid state c) from solid state to gas state d) from gas state to solid state 4) The air can only contain a certain amount of water vapor before it is saturated. This amount is dependent on... a) the temperature of the air b) whether the air is above sea or land c) the wind speed d) the amount of pollution in the air 5) When air containing water reaches its saturation point, then... a) no more water will evaporate from the ground b) it will lead to evaporation above sea and precipitation above land c) water vapor will form droplets d) droplets will fall out of the clouds 6) When air containing water reaches its saturation point, then... a) it will be calm b) it will be windy above sea and rainy above land c) it will start to rain d) clouds will be formed   Quiz results: Questions you got right: Questions you got wrong: Grade in %:
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2. Answer individually or in groups

a) Evaporation is….

b) Condensation is….

c) Which of the following processes are examples of  evaporation, and which are examples of condensation?

• Droplets on the bathroom mirror after your shower
• Clothes getting dry on the clothesline 
• Puddles disappearing after rain
• Droplets on the outside of a glass of cold water
• A sand castle in a sandbox fall apart after a day in the sun

Authors: Ellen K. Henriksen and Camilla Schreiner - University of Oslo - Norway. Scientific reviewer: Justine Gourdeau - LaMP Clermont ferrand - France - 2004-01-13. Quiz programmer: Julia Heres - University of Nürnberg - Germany. Last update: 2004-03-27.