You ask; we VERIFY. This question comes from a young viewer who wants to know -- why are clouds white?
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Sometimes kids ask the best questions, because they seewhat many adultstend to overlook -- including the beauty of nature.
VERIFY QUESTION
Good Morning Show Tracey McCain's son Josiah wanted to know, "Why are clouds white?"
VERIFY SOURCE
Meteorologist Terran Kirksey
VERIFY PROCESS
Kirksey explained, "In general, the water droplets that make up clouds are large enough to scatter out all the colors of the spectrum (the rainbow) from the sunlight equally. When the colors are put together, the color white is the result. That's why clouds look white."
However, large clouds, like those in thunderstorms, have somany water droplets, they block out light and appear dark.
Air molecules that make up the sky are much smaller.
"They tend to only be able to scatter out the color blue, making the sky look blue."
VERIFY INQUIRY
Clouds are white because all the colors of the rainbow spread out inside them, creating a white appearance.
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