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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 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. 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
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. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. What is the difference between “weather” and “climate”: weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, whereas climate is the average weather pattern over 30+ years, or they are identical?
“weather” · “climate” · Weather instruments & clouds
8. 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
9. Which weather instrument measures atmospheric air pressure (helping meteorologists forecast approaching storms or fair weather): a barometer or a rain gauge?
Which weather instrument m… · Weather instruments & clouds
10. Which weather instrument has spinning cups that rotate in the breeze to measure wind speed: an anemometer or a thermometer?
Which weather instrument h… · Weather instruments & clouds
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 44 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
2. 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.
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. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. What is the difference between “weather” and “climate”: weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, whereas climate is the average weather pattern over 30+ years, or they are identical?
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, whereas climate is the average weather pattern over 30+ years
Weather changes hour by hour; climate describes long-term regional averages.
8. 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.
9. Which weather instrument measures atmospheric air pressure (helping meteorologists forecast approaching storms or fair weather): a barometer or a rain gauge?
Barometer
Rising barometric pressure usually signals fair weather; falling pressure often signals an approaching storm.
10. Which weather instrument has spinning cups that rotate in the breeze to measure wind speed: an anemometer or a thermometer?
Anemometer
An anemometer counts rotations to measure how fast the wind is blowing.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 44 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. 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
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. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. What is the difference between “weather” and “climate”: weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, whereas climate is the average weather pattern over 30+ years, or they are identical?
“weather” · “climate” · Weather instruments & clouds
8. 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
9. Which weather instrument measures atmospheric air pressure (helping meteorologists forecast approaching storms or fair weather): a barometer or a rain gauge?
Which weather instrument m… · Weather instruments & clouds
10. Which weather instrument has spinning cups that rotate in the breeze to measure wind speed: an anemometer or a thermometer?
Which weather instrument h… · Weather instruments & clouds
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 44 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
2. 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.
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. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. What is the difference between “weather” and “climate”: weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, whereas climate is the average weather pattern over 30+ years, or they are identical?
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, whereas climate is the average weather pattern over 30+ years
Weather changes hour by hour; climate describes long-term regional averages.
8. 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.
9. Which weather instrument measures atmospheric air pressure (helping meteorologists forecast approaching storms or fair weather): a barometer or a rain gauge?
Barometer
Rising barometric pressure usually signals fair weather; falling pressure often signals an approaching storm.
10. Which weather instrument has spinning cups that rotate in the breeze to measure wind speed: an anemometer or a thermometer?
Anemometer
An anemometer counts rotations to measure how fast the wind is blowing.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 44 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification