Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site tekecs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!tektronix!orca!tekecs!kene
From: kene@tekecs.UUCP (Ken Ewing)
Newsgroups: net.aviation,net.astro
Subject: Re: Something else to watch out for!
Message-ID: <5471@tekecs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 24-Jun-85 13:12:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekecs.5471
Posted: Mon Jun 24 13:12:04 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 27-Jun-85 05:44:49 EDT
References: <11270@brl-tgr.ARPA> <1199@phoenix.UUCP> <1679@amdahl.UUCP> <122@shell.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
Lines: 20
Xref: watmath net.aviation:1682 net.astro:696

> I remember from ground school that air filled with water vapor is
> less dense than dry air, even though is feels "heavy".  If clouds
> are water vapor, doesn't this make them *less* dense than the
> surrounding air?  Unless there was a storm in progess with
> condensed water, I guess.
> 
> A. Lester Buck
> {ihnp4, pur-ee, ut-sally}!shell!buck


I remember from ground school that higher humidity results in "thinner" 
air (the rule was *The Three H's*: High, Hot, and Humid).  However, I also 
remember from physics class that clouds are *not* water vapor.  They are 
microscopic droplets of water (still in liquid state) that coalesce around 
microscopic dust particles.  These droplets and dust particles are so small 
that they float in the air until enough of them merge and become heavy 
enough to precipitate out of the atmosphere as rain.  

   Ken Ewing 
   [decvax, ucbvax]!tektronix!tekecs!kene