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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. On a sunny afternoon at the coast, land heats up faster than the sea, drawing cool air inland from the water. What is this breeze called: a sea breeze or a land breeze?
On a sunny afternoon at th… · Weather instruments & clouds
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 52 · 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. On a sunny afternoon at the coast, land heats up faster than the sea, drawing cool air inland from the water. What is this breeze called: a sea breeze or a land breeze?
Sea breeze
Warm air rises over the heated land and cooler air flows in from the sea as a sea breeze.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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).
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 52 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. On a sunny afternoon at the coast, land heats up faster than the sea, drawing cool air inland from the water. What is this breeze called: a sea breeze or a land breeze?
On a sunny afternoon at th… · Weather instruments & clouds
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 52 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

Weather instruments & clouds

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. On a sunny afternoon at the coast, land heats up faster than the sea, drawing cool air inland from the water. What is this breeze called: a sea breeze or a land breeze?
Sea breeze
Warm air rises over the heated land and cooler air flows in from the sea as a sea breeze.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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).
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 52 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification