EVAPORATION
This process happens when water molecules gain energy and leave liquid water to become gas.
What is evaporation?
This happens to water vapor when humid air cools down.
What is condensation?
Clouds are mostly made of these two forms of water.
What are water droplets and ice crystals?
Higher levels of this increase the strength of storms.
What is humidity?
This force pulls water droplets downward.
What is gravity?
Water vapor in the air mostly comes from this process happening on Earth’s surface.
What is evaporation from water and moist surfaces?
Water droplets form on a cold surface because water vapor does this.
What is cool and condense?
We can see clouds because droplets do this to light.
What is reflect and scatter light?
A greater difference between ground temperature and upper air temperature causes this.
What is stronger convection (stronger storms)?
Upward-moving air exerts this on droplets
What is an upward (lift) force?
When water molecules evaporate, they move this way.
What is faster and farther apart?
When temperature decreases, water molecules move this way.
What is slower?
For clouds to form, air must reach this level of relative humidity.
What is 100% humidity?
Warm air does this, helping storms form.
What is rise?
If gravity is stronger than upward air force, droplets will do this.
What is fall?
Adding thermal energy to water increases this at the particle level.
What is kinetic energy (particle motion)?
Water droplets grow when they collide and do this.
What is merge (combine)?
Water vapor needs these tiny particles in the air to form droplets.
What are cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)?
Temperature and humidity are related to storm strength in this type of relationship.
What is correlation?
When upward force equals downward force, the droplet does this.
What is remain suspended (balanced forces)?