Clouds form when water vapor in the air collects as liquids water on dust particles in the atmosphere.
What physical process takes plcae?
condensation?
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/weather/A0857399.html
The physical process that takes place when clouds form is called condensation. Condensation occurs when water vapor in the air cools down and undergoes a phase change from a gas to a liquid. This happens as the air containing water vapor rises and encounters cooler temperatures at higher altitudes.
To explain the process of cloud formation further, here are the steps involved:
1. Evaporation: The Sun's heat causes water to evaporate from various sources like oceans, lakes, and rivers, converting liquid water into water vapor.
2. Warm air rises: The warm air, carrying water vapor, rises into the atmosphere due to convection currents or other factors like wind.
3. Cooling: As the warm air rises higher into the atmosphere, it encounters colder temperatures. The air cools down, which reduces its ability to hold moisture.
4. Saturation: The cooling air eventually reaches a point called the dew point, where it becomes saturated with water vapor. At this point, the air can no longer hold all the moisture it contains.
5. Condensation: The excess water vapor begins to condense around tiny dust particles, pollutants, or other microscopic particles present in the atmosphere. These particles act as nuclei for water vapor to cling to, forming tiny droplets of liquid water.
6. Cloud formation: The droplets continue to grow as more water vapor condenses around them. When there are a sufficient number of these droplets, they become visible as clouds.
It's important to note that cloud formation is a complex process influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, and atmospheric stability. The specific type and appearance of clouds vary depending on these factors and the altitude at which they form.