Clouds float because they are made of tiny water droplets and moist air, which is lighter than the dry air around them. Think of it like this:
Cloud Structure and Buoyancy
Here's a breakdown of why clouds float:
- Tiny Water Droplets: Clouds aren't giant blobs of water. They're made up of very, very small water droplets. These droplets are so tiny that they are not easily pulled down by gravity.
- Moist Air: These tiny water droplets are embedded within moist air. Moist air is lighter than dry air. It is similar to how a balloon filled with helium floats because helium is lighter than regular air.
- Warm Air Blankets: Clouds are also surrounded by pockets of warmer air. Warmer air rises, lifting the cloud up a little.
Analogy
Imagine a feather. A single feather is very light and floats easily in the air. A cloud is like many, many tiny, tiny feathers (water droplets) all together in lighter, moist air.
Why Don't They Fall?
Because the tiny water droplets are inside moist, warm air that rises, they are pushed upwards and remain floating.
Why the Puzzle is Complete
As the reference says, "Now our puzzle is complete: clouds are made up of tiny droplets of water, which are hardly affected by gravity, embedded in moist air, which is lighter than dry air. And they're surrounded by tiny warm blankets of air, which lift them up towards the sky." This means that the combination of the water droplets, moist air, and surrounding warm air all contribute to clouds floating in the sky.
