A Wonderleaf question
Why do clouds look white or gray?
a real page from the book
Clouds look white when sunlight scatters through many tiny water drops and the colors blend back together. They look gray when the cloud is thick enough that less light gets through to your eyes, leaving the underside in shadow.
The lovely trick is that a storm cloud can be bright on top and gloomy below at the same time. Same water, same Sun, different depth: a taller cloud traps and redirects more light before it reaches us.
Wonder words
- scatter
- sunlight
- shadow
- droplets
Try it out
Hold a thin cloth and a folded cloth near a lamp, then compare how much light passes through each.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- Why do mountains change the weather?
- Why is frost sparkly?
- Why is the sky sometimes gray?
- Why do clouds change shape?
- How do meteorologists predict the weather?
- Why does the air smell different after rain?
One more wonder: Why is space so dark?
And the next question?
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