How to Find the Height of Clouds

Clouds are made up of evaporated water droplets. They are classified according to the height and type of the moisture content. Fog, for instance, is a ground level cloud. Other low-level clouds are cumulus, cumulonimbus, stratus, nimbostratus and stratocumulus. Mid-level clouds are either altostratus or altocumulus. High clouds are usually made of water droplets that have turned to ice. These high clouds are called cirrus, cirrostratus or cirrocumulus. Meteorologists and other scientists use very technical, specialized equipment to obtain exact measures of cloud height. However, a simple home experiment will provide a close estimate of the height of clouds.

Things You'll Need

• 2 Celsius thermometers
• Water glass
• Water (room temperature)
• 2 ice cubes

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Go outside and fill a water glass 1/2 full of room temperature water.

   • 2

     Put two ice cubes in the water. Place one of the thermometers in the glass. Use the thermometer to stir the ice a bit so the water cools uniformly.

   • 3

     Measure the temperature of the water at the moment condensation forms on the outside of the glass. This is the dewpoint.

   • 4

     Check the outside air temperature with the second thermometer.

   • 5

     Calculate the height of the cloud base by subtracting the dewpoint temperature from the outside air temperature. Multiply the difference by 100. The resulting number is height of the cloud base in meters.