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Weather instruments & clouds

Match weather instruments and cloud types (cirrus, cumulus, stratus) to what they measure or indicate. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6

Weather instruments & clouds

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. What tiny water droplets form on cool grass and leaves early in the morning when water vapour condenses on cold surfaces: dew or hail?
What tiny water droplets f… · Weather instruments & clouds
2. What causes the loud sound of thunder during a thunderstorm: lightning rapidly heats the air, causing it to expand explosively as a shock wave, or clouds bumping together?
What causes the loud sound… · Weather instruments & clouds
3. Why are weather station thermometers housed inside a white, slatted wooden box (a Stevenson screen): to shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely, or to keep rain inside?
Why are weather station th… · Weather instruments & clouds
4. What are the thin, wispy, feathery high-altitude clouds made of ice crystals in fair weather called: cirrus clouds or cumulonimbus clouds?
What are the thin, wispy, … · Weather instruments & clouds
5. Which airport and marina instrument uses a striped fabric cone on a pole to show both wind direction and approximate wind strength: a windsock or a sundial?
Which airport and marina i… · Weather instruments & clouds
6. Which weather instrument measures air or water temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F): a thermometer or a barometer?
Which weather instrument m… · Weather instruments & clouds
7. Why do you see the flash of lightning before you hear the clap of thunder from a distant storm: light travels much faster than sound in air, or lightning happens ten minutes earlier?
Why do you see the flash o… · Weather instruments & clouds
8. What scale from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane force) is used by sailors and weather observers to estimate wind speed from sea and land conditions: the Beaufort scale or the pH scale?
0 · 12 · Weather instruments & clouds
9. What are the tall, towering, anvil-topped storm clouds that produce heavy rain, thunder and lightning: cumulonimbus clouds or cirrus clouds?
What are the tall, towerin… · Weather instruments & clouds
10. What lines on a weather map connect places that have the exact same atmospheric pressure: isobars or contour lines?
What lines on a weather ma… · Weather instruments & clouds
11. Which weather instrument collects falling rain in a graduated cylinder to measure rainfall depth in millimetres (mm): a rain gauge or a wind vane?
Which weather instrument c… · Weather instruments & clouds
12. What do we call a cloud that forms right at ground level or sea level and reduces visibility: fog (or mist) or hail?
What do we call a cloud th… · Weather instruments & clouds

12 questions · Seed 48 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 4-6

Weather instruments & clouds

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. What tiny water droplets form on cool grass and leaves early in the morning when water vapour condenses on cold surfaces: dew or hail?
Dew
When overnight surfaces cool below the dew point, water vapour condenses into liquid dew.
2. What causes the loud sound of thunder during a thunderstorm: lightning rapidly heats the air, causing it to expand explosively as a shock wave, or clouds bumping together?
Lightning rapidly heats the air, causing it to expand explosively as a shock wave
A lightning bolt heats the surrounding air channel to ~30,000 °C, creating a sonic shock wave (thunder).
3. Why are weather station thermometers housed inside a white, slatted wooden box (a Stevenson screen): to shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely, or to keep rain inside?
To shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely
A Stevenson screen ensures the thermometer measures true air temperature in the shade.
4. What are the thin, wispy, feathery high-altitude clouds made of ice crystals in fair weather called: cirrus clouds or cumulonimbus clouds?
Cirrus clouds
Cirrus clouds form high in the troposphere and look like delicate white feathers.
5. Which airport and marina instrument uses a striped fabric cone on a pole to show both wind direction and approximate wind strength: a windsock or a sundial?
Windsock
A windsock fills and extends horizontally when strong winds blow.
6. Which weather instrument measures air or water temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F): a thermometer or a barometer?
Thermometer
A thermometer measures how hot or cold the air or liquid is.
7. Why do you see the flash of lightning before you hear the clap of thunder from a distant storm: light travels much faster than sound in air, or lightning happens ten minutes earlier?
Light travels much faster than sound in air
Light travels at ~300,000 km/s, whereas sound in air travels at ~340 m/s (about 1 km every 3 seconds).
8. What scale from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane force) is used by sailors and weather observers to estimate wind speed from sea and land conditions: the Beaufort scale or the pH scale?
Beaufort scale
Admiral Francis Beaufort devised the 0–12 wind force scale based on observable wave and tree motion.
9. What are the tall, towering, anvil-topped storm clouds that produce heavy rain, thunder and lightning: cumulonimbus clouds or cirrus clouds?
Cumulonimbus clouds
Cumulonimbus clouds are deep convective storm clouds associated with thunderstorms.
10. What lines on a weather map connect places that have the exact same atmospheric pressure: isobars or contour lines?
Isobars
Isobars join points of equal barometric pressure; closely spaced isobars indicate strong winds.
11. Which weather instrument collects falling rain in a graduated cylinder to measure rainfall depth in millimetres (mm): a rain gauge or a wind vane?
Rain gauge
A rain gauge measures the depth of precipitation that falls over a set period.
12. What do we call a cloud that forms right at ground level or sea level and reduces visibility: fog (or mist) or hail?
Fog (or mist)
Fog is a stratus cloud whose base touches the ground or sea surface.

12 questions · Seed 48 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6

Weather instruments & clouds

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. What tiny water droplets form on cool grass and leaves early in the morning when water vapour condenses on cold surfaces: dew or hail?
What tiny water droplets f… · Weather instruments & clouds
2. What causes the loud sound of thunder during a thunderstorm: lightning rapidly heats the air, causing it to expand explosively as a shock wave, or clouds bumping together?
What causes the loud sound… · Weather instruments & clouds
3. Why are weather station thermometers housed inside a white, slatted wooden box (a Stevenson screen): to shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely, or to keep rain inside?
Why are weather station th… · Weather instruments & clouds
4. What are the thin, wispy, feathery high-altitude clouds made of ice crystals in fair weather called: cirrus clouds or cumulonimbus clouds?
What are the thin, wispy, … · Weather instruments & clouds
5. Which airport and marina instrument uses a striped fabric cone on a pole to show both wind direction and approximate wind strength: a windsock or a sundial?
Which airport and marina i… · Weather instruments & clouds
6. Which weather instrument measures air or water temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F): a thermometer or a barometer?
Which weather instrument m… · Weather instruments & clouds
7. Why do you see the flash of lightning before you hear the clap of thunder from a distant storm: light travels much faster than sound in air, or lightning happens ten minutes earlier?
Why do you see the flash o… · Weather instruments & clouds
8. What scale from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane force) is used by sailors and weather observers to estimate wind speed from sea and land conditions: the Beaufort scale or the pH scale?
0 · 12 · Weather instruments & clouds
9. What are the tall, towering, anvil-topped storm clouds that produce heavy rain, thunder and lightning: cumulonimbus clouds or cirrus clouds?
What are the tall, towerin… · Weather instruments & clouds
10. What lines on a weather map connect places that have the exact same atmospheric pressure: isobars or contour lines?
What lines on a weather ma… · Weather instruments & clouds
11. Which weather instrument collects falling rain in a graduated cylinder to measure rainfall depth in millimetres (mm): a rain gauge or a wind vane?
Which weather instrument c… · Weather instruments & clouds
12. What do we call a cloud that forms right at ground level or sea level and reduces visibility: fog (or mist) or hail?
What do we call a cloud th… · Weather instruments & clouds

12 questions · Seed 48 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 4-6

Weather instruments & clouds

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. What tiny water droplets form on cool grass and leaves early in the morning when water vapour condenses on cold surfaces: dew or hail?
Dew
When overnight surfaces cool below the dew point, water vapour condenses into liquid dew.
2. What causes the loud sound of thunder during a thunderstorm: lightning rapidly heats the air, causing it to expand explosively as a shock wave, or clouds bumping together?
Lightning rapidly heats the air, causing it to expand explosively as a shock wave
A lightning bolt heats the surrounding air channel to ~30,000 °C, creating a sonic shock wave (thunder).
3. Why are weather station thermometers housed inside a white, slatted wooden box (a Stevenson screen): to shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely, or to keep rain inside?
To shade the thermometer from direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely
A Stevenson screen ensures the thermometer measures true air temperature in the shade.
4. What are the thin, wispy, feathery high-altitude clouds made of ice crystals in fair weather called: cirrus clouds or cumulonimbus clouds?
Cirrus clouds
Cirrus clouds form high in the troposphere and look like delicate white feathers.
5. Which airport and marina instrument uses a striped fabric cone on a pole to show both wind direction and approximate wind strength: a windsock or a sundial?
Windsock
A windsock fills and extends horizontally when strong winds blow.
6. Which weather instrument measures air or water temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F): a thermometer or a barometer?
Thermometer
A thermometer measures how hot or cold the air or liquid is.
7. Why do you see the flash of lightning before you hear the clap of thunder from a distant storm: light travels much faster than sound in air, or lightning happens ten minutes earlier?
Light travels much faster than sound in air
Light travels at ~300,000 km/s, whereas sound in air travels at ~340 m/s (about 1 km every 3 seconds).
8. What scale from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane force) is used by sailors and weather observers to estimate wind speed from sea and land conditions: the Beaufort scale or the pH scale?
Beaufort scale
Admiral Francis Beaufort devised the 0–12 wind force scale based on observable wave and tree motion.
9. What are the tall, towering, anvil-topped storm clouds that produce heavy rain, thunder and lightning: cumulonimbus clouds or cirrus clouds?
Cumulonimbus clouds
Cumulonimbus clouds are deep convective storm clouds associated with thunderstorms.
10. What lines on a weather map connect places that have the exact same atmospheric pressure: isobars or contour lines?
Isobars
Isobars join points of equal barometric pressure; closely spaced isobars indicate strong winds.
11. Which weather instrument collects falling rain in a graduated cylinder to measure rainfall depth in millimetres (mm): a rain gauge or a wind vane?
Rain gauge
A rain gauge measures the depth of precipitation that falls over a set period.
12. What do we call a cloud that forms right at ground level or sea level and reduces visibility: fog (or mist) or hail?
Fog (or mist)
Fog is a stratus cloud whose base touches the ground or sea surface.

12 questions · Seed 48 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification