Sunlight Through Cloud Droplets
Age 11 · Physics
A cloud is made of countless tiny water droplets. Sunlight hits them and bounces off in every direction, so the cloud looks bright white.
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Age 11: open this week
Browse Age 11In the picture
- The sunlight beam: a narrow stream of white light travelling toward the droplets
- A cloud droplet: a tiny clear ball of water
- Outgoing light: rays leaving a droplet in many directions
Examples
- A shaft of sunlight in a dusty room glows where the dust floats in the air.
- Sea spray above waves looks white even though water is clear.
Key takeaways
- Cloud droplets are clear, but together they send sunlight back out in all directions.
- When light bounces every way off many tiny droplets, we see white.
Quiz: Sunlight Through Cloud Droplets (Age 11)
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What is a cloud droplet like by itself?
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What happens to sunlight when it hits the droplets in a cloud?
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Why does a cloud look bright white?
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