Types of Clouds
What are clouds made of?
Duration: 2:07
Fluffy, flat, wispy, or dark and grumpy: what are clouds made of? Look up at the sky with our little explorer and meet the four main types of clouds!
In short
A cloud is made of millions of tiny drops of water, so small and light that they float in the air. When the sun warms the water in lakes and oceans, some of it rises into the sky as water vapor, an invisible gas. High in the sky the air is cold, so the vapor turns back into tiny drops, and together they make a cloud. Clouds come in different shapes, and each one has a name. Cumulus clouds are big, white, and fluffy, like cotton balls, and they mean nice weather. Stratus clouds are flat and gray, like a blanket across the sky, and can bring a little drizzle. Cirrus clouds are thin and wispy, high up, like feathers, and are made of tiny bits of ice. Cumulonimbus clouds are giant and dark, as tall as mountains, and bring thunderstorms. When the tiny drops in a cloud bump together, they grow bigger and heavier until they fall as rain. If you hear thunder, go inside and watch the storm safely from a window.
What you will learn
- What a cloud is made of: millions of tiny drops of water
- How the sun turns water into invisible water vapor
- Why the vapor turns back into tiny drops high in the cold sky
- Cumulus clouds: big, white, and fluffy
- Stratus clouds: flat and gray, like a blanket
- Cirrus clouds: thin and wispy, made of ice
- Cumulonimbus clouds: giant storm clouds that bring thunder
- How rain falls from a cloud, and what to do when you hear thunder
Let's talk about it
Questions to ask after watching, at home or in class. Tap a question to see a short answer.
What is a cloud made of?
Millions of tiny drops of water, floating in the air.
Which clouds are big, white, and fluffy?
Cumulus clouds! They mean nice weather.
What should you do if you hear thunder?
Go inside, and watch the storm safely from a window.
