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KevanGreunke: 3 months ago

It is possible to form a cloud by mixing together two unsaturated (i.e., clear) parcels of air?

True or false.

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Answer 1

ClaraListensprechen: 3 months ago | Last edited at 8:39PM on 2/9/2013

Only under certain conditions It is true. In the absence of the conditions, it is false.

1) they must contain some moisture (humid) even though they're not saturated

2) they must be at an altitude at which the air temperature reaches dew point.

Dew point is a measure of humidity like relative humidity is, but the measurement is in terms of degrees of temperature rather than percentage. Dew point temperature is the temperature at which the humidity of the parcels of air begin to condense.

When your two parcels of air achieve dew point temperature, you can still form a cloud.

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Answer 2

MikayoMihiroKatArai: 3 months ago

We formed a cloud in class the other day. We took a jar filled 1/5 of it with hot water, put a match inside and quickly closed the lid and put ice on the lid. Made a cool cloud. Dunno about what your asking but this seemed maybe semi helpful.

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ClaraListensprechen: 3 months ago

Interesting, and rather proves my point about temperature being important.

The hot water created steam in the jar; the match created smoke particles in the jar; the ice cooled the steam down to its dew point and condensed on the smoke particles to form the cloud. Very nice! Star!

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Answer 3

JamesBench: 3 months ago

Mix a parcel of cold air with warm, humid (but not quite saturated) air. That should get you a cloud.

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