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