Clouds

[denis567]

It has been a lovely sunny day today with a blue sky peppered with 'cottonwool' clouds in various sizes. This got me thinking, I can appreciate that rain clouds, filled with moisture, must weigh heavy, but these clouds today were just like balls of cottonwool, and I wonder if they have much weight, and if so how would it be possible to estimate their weight. Probably a silly question, but someone may know.

[TCL-MUMPING]

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1998-05/895960099.Es.r.html

[denis567]

Thanks TCL, I am not going to say I understand it, but it is interesting, none the less.

[Teddio]

There is little difference in the mass per unit volume (density) of a cloud compared to the air around it. Therefore the cloud has neutral buoyancy and "floats".

[wopshistos]

not read all of this but you might be interested to learn that moist air weighs less than dry air. whilst the difference is only small, it is enough to generate moisture vapour (clouds) at altitude which, because of their mass, flock together to form clouds. The clouds are at the mercy of temperature, pressure and wind variations. weighing them might be a bit difficult.