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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 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
2. Where should you place a rain gauge to get an accurate rainfall measurement: in an open area away from trees and building roofs, or directly under a tree?
Where should you place a r… · Weather instruments & clouds
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. Which weather instrument points into the wind to show the direction (N, S, E, W) from which the wind is blowing: a wind vane (weather vane) or a rain gauge?
Which weather instrument p… · 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. If a wind vane points toward the East, from which direction is the wind blowing: from the East (an easterly wind), or from the West?
If a wind vane points towa… · Weather instruments & clouds
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 50 · 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 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.
2. Where should you place a rain gauge to get an accurate rainfall measurement: in an open area away from trees and building roofs, or directly under a tree?
In an open area away from trees and building roofs
Trees and roofs block or funnel rainwater, distorting the measurement.
3. 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).
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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).
7. 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.
8. Which weather instrument points into the wind to show the direction (N, S, E, W) from which the wind is blowing: a wind vane (weather vane) or a rain gauge?
Wind vane (weather vane)
A wind vane pivots so its arrow points into the oncoming wind.
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. If a wind vane points toward the East, from which direction is the wind blowing: from the East (an easterly wind), or from the West?
From the East (an easterly wind)
Winds are named after the direction they blow FROM, and a wind vane points into the oncoming wind.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 50 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. Where should you place a rain gauge to get an accurate rainfall measurement: in an open area away from trees and building roofs, or directly under a tree?
Where should you place a r… · Weather instruments & clouds
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. Which weather instrument points into the wind to show the direction (N, S, E, W) from which the wind is blowing: a wind vane (weather vane) or a rain gauge?
Which weather instrument p… · 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. If a wind vane points toward the East, from which direction is the wind blowing: from the East (an easterly wind), or from the West?
If a wind vane points towa… · Weather instruments & clouds
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 50 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
2. Where should you place a rain gauge to get an accurate rainfall measurement: in an open area away from trees and building roofs, or directly under a tree?
In an open area away from trees and building roofs
Trees and roofs block or funnel rainwater, distorting the measurement.
3. 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).
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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).
7. 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.
8. Which weather instrument points into the wind to show the direction (N, S, E, W) from which the wind is blowing: a wind vane (weather vane) or a rain gauge?
Wind vane (weather vane)
A wind vane pivots so its arrow points into the oncoming wind.
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. If a wind vane points toward the East, from which direction is the wind blowing: from the East (an easterly wind), or from the West?
From the East (an easterly wind)
Winds are named after the direction they blow FROM, and a wind vane points into the oncoming wind.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 50 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification