Did u know how much does a cloud weight? | DIDUKNOW #5

Ever wondered how much does a cloud weight? When u look at it, it seems so light. But a cloud can weight up to 1.1 million pounds!

First, figure out how dense the cloud is. Scientists have measured the water density of a typical cumulus cloud (the white, fluffy ones you see on a nice day) as 0.5 gram per cubic meter, about a small marble’s worth of water in a space you and a friend could comfortably sit in. The density will be greater for different types of clouds.

Next, figure out how big the cloud is. By measuring a cloud’s shadow when the sun is directly above it, you can get an idea of its width. A typical cumulus, is about a kilometer across, and usually roughly cubical, so a kilometer long and a kilometer tall, too. This gives you a cloud that’s one billion cubic meters in volume!

Do the math with the density and volume to determine the total water content of the cloud. In this case, it's 500,000,000 grams of water, or 1.1 million pounds.