A Wonderleaf question
Why do clouds look white or gray?
a real page from the book
Clouds look white because sunlight hits countless tiny water drops and scatters in every direction, so all the colors reach our eyes mixed together. They look gray when the cloud is thicker, because less sunlight gets through to the underside we can see.
A rain cloud can have a bright top and a gloomy bottom at the same time. From above, sunlight may still be shining strongly on it, while people underneath stand in the cloud’s own shade, seeing a darker belly.
Wonder words
- sunlight
- droplets
- scatter
- shadow
Try it out
Shine a flashlight through a clear glass of water, then add a splash of milk and compare how the light changes.
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?
And the next question?
Ask anything — Wonderleaf writes and illustrates a picture book for it. That's the whole idea.
Ask your own question