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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. 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
2. What hard pellets of ice form inside strong updrafts of a thunderstorm cloud before falling to the ground: hail (hailstones) or mist?
What hard pellets of ice f… · Weather instruments & clouds
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. What are the low, flat, uniform grey cloud layers that cover the whole sky like a blanket and often bring light drizzle: stratus clouds or cirrus clouds?
What are the low, flat, un… · Weather instruments & clouds
7. What are the fluffy, white, flat-based clouds that look like cotton wool floating in a blue sky on a sunny day: cumulus clouds or stratus clouds?
What are the fluffy, white… · Weather instruments & clouds
8. 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
9. What causes a rainbow to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on falling raindrops: sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets, or clouds paint the sky?
What causes a rainbow to a… · Weather instruments & clouds
10. Which weather instrument measures the relative humidity (water vapour content) of the air: a hygrometer or an anemometer?
Which weather instrument m… · 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. 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

12 questions · Seed 54 · 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. 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.
2. What hard pellets of ice form inside strong updrafts of a thunderstorm cloud before falling to the ground: hail (hailstones) or mist?
Hail (hailstones)
Hailstones grow as raindrops are carried repeatedly up into freezing layers of a cumulonimbus cloud.
3. 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.
4. 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).
5. 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.
6. What are the low, flat, uniform grey cloud layers that cover the whole sky like a blanket and often bring light drizzle: stratus clouds or cirrus clouds?
Stratus clouds
Stratus clouds form a low horizontal grey layer across the sky.
7. What are the fluffy, white, flat-based clouds that look like cotton wool floating in a blue sky on a sunny day: cumulus clouds or stratus clouds?
Cumulus clouds
Fair-weather cumulus clouds have rounded white tops and flat bases.
8. 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.
9. What causes a rainbow to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on falling raindrops: sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets, or clouds paint the sky?
Sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets
Each raindrop acts like a tiny prism, splitting white sunlight into a spectrum.
10. Which weather instrument measures the relative humidity (water vapour content) of the air: a hygrometer or an anemometer?
Hygrometer
A hygrometer measures how much moisture is held in the air.
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. 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.

12 questions · Seed 54 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6

Weather instruments & clouds

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. What hard pellets of ice form inside strong updrafts of a thunderstorm cloud before falling to the ground: hail (hailstones) or mist?
What hard pellets of ice f… · Weather instruments & clouds
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. What are the low, flat, uniform grey cloud layers that cover the whole sky like a blanket and often bring light drizzle: stratus clouds or cirrus clouds?
What are the low, flat, un… · Weather instruments & clouds
7. What are the fluffy, white, flat-based clouds that look like cotton wool floating in a blue sky on a sunny day: cumulus clouds or stratus clouds?
What are the fluffy, white… · Weather instruments & clouds
8. 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
9. What causes a rainbow to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on falling raindrops: sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets, or clouds paint the sky?
What causes a rainbow to a… · Weather instruments & clouds
10. Which weather instrument measures the relative humidity (water vapour content) of the air: a hygrometer or an anemometer?
Which weather instrument m… · 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. 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

12 questions · Seed 54 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 4-6

Weather instruments & clouds

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
2. What hard pellets of ice form inside strong updrafts of a thunderstorm cloud before falling to the ground: hail (hailstones) or mist?
Hail (hailstones)
Hailstones grow as raindrops are carried repeatedly up into freezing layers of a cumulonimbus cloud.
3. 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.
4. 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).
5. 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.
6. What are the low, flat, uniform grey cloud layers that cover the whole sky like a blanket and often bring light drizzle: stratus clouds or cirrus clouds?
Stratus clouds
Stratus clouds form a low horizontal grey layer across the sky.
7. What are the fluffy, white, flat-based clouds that look like cotton wool floating in a blue sky on a sunny day: cumulus clouds or stratus clouds?
Cumulus clouds
Fair-weather cumulus clouds have rounded white tops and flat bases.
8. 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.
9. What causes a rainbow to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on falling raindrops: sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets, or clouds paint the sky?
Sunlight is refracted, reflected and dispersed into colours inside the water droplets
Each raindrop acts like a tiny prism, splitting white sunlight into a spectrum.
10. Which weather instrument measures the relative humidity (water vapour content) of the air: a hygrometer or an anemometer?
Hygrometer
A hygrometer measures how much moisture is held in the air.
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. 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.

12 questions · Seed 54 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification